The Chemicals Between Us
by Alien-Writes
Summary: This year was going to be great for Sakura. So, she hadn't talked to her crush in three months, and okay, she couldn't get into the class she wanted and was stuck with the infamously tough Professor Hatake for the next four months, but she refused to let it get her down! Even when she's face to face with the man who holds her future in the palm of his hands. (Modern/CollegeAU)
1. Prologue

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

PROLOGUE

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Shizune's desk was always a cluttered, yet organized mess that never failed to amaze Sakura. The stacks of papers and folders, the pair of pencil holders packed full of various pens and highlighters, it was all part of an intricate system that only her advisor seemed to be able to operate. Anytime she needed something specific, the woman would give a slight "hmm" as she tapped her chin and like magic, what she needed would be only under a few papers or just hidden behind her date book. This time, she had pulled Sakura's file out from under the keyboard of her computer as if that was exactly the place she had put it. They reviewed the classes Sakura had already taken and as her advisor looked up the fall semester course list, she smiled.

"Well, it looks like none of the classes you asked for are filled. So, that won't be an issue."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and felt her shoulders relax. She always dreaded the day she chose her classes for the next semester. Being pre-med, her semesters were pretty set in stone. Any hiccup could set her back an entire year and she was more than ready to graduate and start her residency. She tucked a strand of pink behind her ear and flipped her schedule book open. "That's great! I've been so worried that-"

"Unfortunately, you can't take Bio-Chem with Professor Hiruzen." Shizune said with a small scowl across her lips. Sakura felt her heart almost skip a beat and she sat up, leaning forward with a frown to glance at her file on Shizune's desk.

"Oh. Why is that?"

"He retired this past semester. The only Bio Chem class being offered this fall is with Professor Hatake on Mondays. I think it will still work with the rest of your classes." She turned to the computer to key in the course number, sealing Sakura's fate with one stroke of the 'enter' button. The pre-med student didn't know exactly how to feel and a little bubble of panic rose quickly in her gut as she tried to imagine taking a course under Professor Hatake. She didn't know much about him as he usually only taught classes that she never would take. But, biological chemistry now fell under the medical degree plan and she had heard horror stories from the students who had taken his course.

They had all warned her to never take his class. Professor Hiruzen was much more understanding, nicer, and actually wanted you to succeed. Hatake was a tyrant who didn't care for anyone unless they were specifically a Chemistry major. He was going to make Sakura's life hell, she could feel it. Swallowing down her trepidation, she quickly thumbed through the fall course list, searching for anything else to take in it's place. "I...uhm, I'm not sure I can do Monday's…" She wracked her brain for any excuse to not take this course. Maybe if she waited a semester or two, they would hire a new instructor who wasn't rumored to be so harsh that he made a girl cry on the first day of class and drop out of college altogether.

"I know what you're thinking. I've heard all the rumors and I've got to say, they're not true. Professor Hatake just expects you to come to class, do your work and study. If he failed everyone that came through, how would anyone graduate? You're smart, Sakura. And a good student. You'll be fine." Shizune flashed a confident smile as she turned back to the computer and entered the rest of the classes Sakura had picked out for the semester. In less than five minutes, her future's fate was sealed and it all hinged on one class and one particularly nasty professor.

Outside, Sakura took a deep breath of the warm, afternoon air but still felt like she was being smothered. She was more annoyed with the situation than anything else, annoyed that no one had told her Professor Hiruzen was retiring, that there were no other options for her, and annoyed that one dick headed professor was now standing between her and graduation. With a heavy sigh, Sakura dug through her purse for her cell phone and turned it on, hoping for a new text message or voicemail. But, there was nothing. Just as there had been for the past two months.

She decided to call Ino before making her way to the bookstore to spend all of her summer savings on textbooks. On the third ring, the blonde answered the phone with a sleepy 'hello'.

"Really? It's 1:25 in the afternoon. You're still asleep?" Sakura tucked her course catalog under her arm and looked both ways down the street before crossing from the medical complex toward the bookstore. Ino yawned on the other end of the phone.

"Hey, classes don't start for another week. Technically it's still summer break."

"Speaking of classes, guess what I just found out." Sakura tried to hide her annoyance but it was very evident in her voice. She hurried up the sidewalk and sat down on an empty bench to situate herself and take a minute to chat.

"They canceled this semester and everyone passes automatically?" Her best friend joked and Sakura gave a roll of her eyes.

"Hiruzen retired and I'm stuck with a sadist Professor for the entire semester."

"Yikes...who is it? And what makes them a sadist?" Ino was sounding a bit more awake by now, always interested in a bit of drama or gossip. Sakura switched ears with her phone and glanced around to make sure no one was within ear shot. She didn't need anyone hearing her bad mouth her professor before the class had even started.

"Hatake. And I heard he made a girl cry on the first day of class last year. She was so upset she completely dropped out. Like, the guy is infamous for being a prick for no reason."

On the other end, Ino scoffed and Sakura could hear the sound of the coffee machine turning on. "Well, maybe it's just a rumor. I doubt he'd be an asshole if you're a good student, which you are. Don't worry so much."

"Easy for you to say." She mumbled and sat back on the bench with a slump. She hated it when Ino was being reasonable, especially when she wanted the outraged, explosive blonde she could be. But, she was right. There was no use in judging the guy before she had even stepped foot in his classroom. It would only make her nervous and stress out about it for no reason. Besides, both her best friend and advisor were right; she was a good student.

"So…" Ino started and Sakura knew exactly where she was headed. "Heard from lover boy?"

Lover boy. That made Sakura want to laugh. He was hardly a boy and hardly her lover. She had spent one night in Sasuke's bed after his graduation in May. They had been drinking a bit at the after party in his dorm and for one night, or six brief hours, her two year crush on him came to an end. Of course, being a bit drunk, it was hard to remember what had exactly happened but she had been sore the next morning and had woken up with a huge grin in his bed. It was easy to put all the pieces together. Two months had passed since that night and they had only shared a couple of polite, platonic texts that never seemed to go past 'how are you?'. It was frustrating. Especially so when her friends referred to him as her lover.

"Not in a few days." She lied, hating that she had to lie, and hating that she wished it was true. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she hoped Ino couldn't tell that she wasn't being honest.

"Ugh." Was all she heard on the other end and she knew it was time to end the conversation before Ino could start on her 'you're too good to wait on some dumb boy' tirade. Her friends had tried the past few weeks to get her to go out, let loose, and find a rebound but she just couldn't let it go that easily. Especially since he had been her first. The thought made a blush creep up on her cheeks and she stood from the bench.

"I've got to get to the bookstore before it gets too packed. Come by later. I close tonight so you can get some free, day old muffins if you keep me company." She offered to the girl before shouldering her purse and making her way back across campus.

"Well, how can I resist that offer?"

They said their goodbyes and Sakura cursed as she shoved her phone into her bag. The line at the bookstore was already out the doors. Her shift at the coffee shop started in less than two hours and she still wanted to get home to shower before. By the looks of the crowd, she definitely wouldn't be able to keep her plans and she blew a strand of hair from her eyes in frustration. It seemed that the theme of the day was having her plans completely ruined by circumstances beyond her control. She just hoped that the rest of the semester wouldn't follow this trend.


	2. First Impressions

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

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Shit. _Shit, shit, shit_!

Sakura repeatedly swore over and over in her head as she threw her sheets off the bed and scrambled to the floor. It was the first day of class and her alarm had chose this as the perfect time to stop working. She had woken up to blinking, red digital numbers that meant the power had gone out sometime in the middle of the night. Snatching her phone off the pillow beside her, she stared at the time in horror. 9:04.

She had a less than half an hour to get ready and make it to class on time. And not just any class... _the_ class she had been terrified of since she had been forced into taking it. What a wonderful first impression she was going to make, showing up late to lecture on the first day. She thought briefly about not going, that it was only the first day. If there was any day to miss, this was it. But, she knew the scholar in her would refuse, despite how badly she did not want to give any reason for her new professor to dislike her.

Throwing herself off the bed, she sent her white, fluffy cat flying to the floor where he scowled angrily at her and sat down right in her way as if to punish her for disturbing him. Sakura cursed and stumbled around him, ripping off the shirt she slept in and snatching at a pair of jeans lying crumpled in front of her closet. They were stretched from so many wears without being washed but she didn't care. There was no time to be fashionable today. She threw on a black T-shirt and cursed again once she realized she had put it on inside out.

It took another minute to grab her books, fix her shirt, and slip her feet into a pair of flipflops before she was out the front door of her studio apartment. The metal bars of the street gate clanged loudly as she slammed it behind her and Sakura winced, risking a glance at the clock on her phone.

"Shit!" She shouted, startling an elderly couple who were making their way down the sidewalk a few yards ahead of her. They turned to stare in slight horror and she ducked her head and ran toward the campus. Luckily, she was only a few blocks away but luck was never on her side it seemed. Traffic was backed up at each parking lot and a mass of students made their way from their cars and the University shuttle, dragging their feet to the first class of the semester. A group of girls gathered by the tiered fountain in the courtyard to take a group picture as they all shouted 'Konoha U' for the camera.

Sakura hurried around them, staying close to the fountain to dodge a slow moving couple who were more focused on staring into each other's eyes than on where they were going. With a scowl, she rounded the fountain, her foot catching on someone's shoe and she felt herself stumbling forward, barely managing to catch herself on the damp stone at her side. She glanced back at the man she had tripped over, an angry response ready on her tongue. At the sight of his half-lidded gaze staring at her from over the top of a book, she clamped her mouth shut and dusted her hands off on her wrinkled jeans. He sat on the edge of the fountain, quiet but watching her with a strange intensity that shown through the one eye that wasn't obstructed by his mass of silver hair.

"You should really watch where you put your feet. Someone could get hurt tripping over them, you know?." She scolded him before pulling the straps of her book bag and hurrying in the direction she had been heading moments before, shaking off the goosebumps that had made their way up her arms.

The Sciences building was just beyond the library; a modern, towering structure that had been paid for with a tuition spike several years before Sakura had attended. She didn't care for the facade of enormous glass windows or the 'state of the art' design. It looked a bit gaudy to her, as if it were built just so the University could say 'look at all this money we have'. Her neck ached just from trying to look up at the monstrosity as she made her way inside.

Thankfully, the chemistry classrooms were on the first floor and she found her destination with only a minute to spare. Every desk was filled with students who all whispered nervously, surely swapping stories that they had heard about this infamous Professor Hatake and his unpassable class. Unfortunately, the only spare desk was in the front row, right in front of the lectern. Sakura swallowed down a groan and made her way down the wide steps of the sloping classroom, cursing herself for not setting a backup alarm.

A few of the younger students watched her walk by, surprised that she was willing to sit so close to the front. God, she hoped this guy wasn't a spitter. A hardass, she could take. But, she didn't know if she could stand someone lecturing to her and drowning her in saliva for the next four months. The clock above the dry erase board ticked steadily past 9:30 and Sakura scowled as she took out her notebook and text. If she had known he wouldn't be on time, she wouldn't have rushed so fast.

She sighed and looked down at a small stain on the knee of her jeans, mourning the fact that she hadn't laid out any fresh clothes to wear the night before. She vowed not to let it happen again.

The side door to the classroom opened and a frightened hush fell over the class, as if everyone behind her had immediately disappeared. Sakura wet her suddenly dry lips and watched the man make his way toward the computer desk in the corner of the room. He was very well dressed in a pair of black slacks that fit him very well, a dark gray button up, and not at all resembling the ogre that Sakura had conjured up in her mind the last few days. Surely, this was Professor Hatake's TA, or someone filling in for him. He was far too young to be anything else.

After setting a briefcase that looked as if it had seen better days down on the desk, he glanced up at the class, his eyes darting to meet Sakura's and she sucked in a tiny puff of air. She knew that stare immediately. It had just pierced right through her after she had tripped over his feet by the fountain. God, she was a moron! She had been a total bitch to the man who held her fate in his hands.

He looked back down as he pulled a stack of stapled papers from his briefcase before holding them in the air. He stepped around the desk and Sakura shifted in her seat. He wasn't an ogre, but he was just as menacing, if not more. She could feel his dominance from across the room and knew he had a strange aura of authority surrounding him. It made her immediately uncomfortable but she couldn't understand why.

"This is your syllabus. I suggest you keep up with it." He let the stack fall on Sakura's desk, startling her to the point where she nearly lifted completely off of her seat. For a second, she just stared at the papers, unable to comprehend why he had given them all to her. The wheels in her brain turned and she blinked, her hands shaking as she grabbed a copy off the top. She turned to pass the rest back, risking a glance at the faces behind her.

They all looked exactly how she felt, confused and scared. At least she wasn't alone and the rumors about this class weren't just in her head.

From the front of the classroom, a marker squeaked over the board and Sakura lifted her eyes to see him writing quickly. Shit. Was this the lecture already? She snatched a pen from her backpack and scribbled exactly what he was writing in her own notebook. "Principle areas of biochemistry." He started, the marker looping and swirling with every letter he wrote. "Structure and function, metabolism, molecular genetics." He put a dash by each of the principles and Sakura did the same.

She felt a bit blindsided and her writing was sloppy as she tried to keep up with what he wrote out. A small part of her was pissed. It was the first day of class. What was he trying to prove by throwing them into the deep end this early? Nothing he was saying was even sticking in her head or making any sense and she knew she would have to spend a few hours a day reading over the text material to comprehend his lectures. He didn't seem like the kind of professor that offered any extra sources to help them along either.

Time seemed to stand still as he flew on with no desire to slow down or elaborate. A few people behind her put their hands up or tried to get him to repeat what he had said but it became clear that anyone too slow to keep up would just be left behind. He responded to each request to slow down or repeat himself with a raise of a slender eyebrow, and the attempts quickly ceased. An hour later, he glanced down at the watch on his wrist, capped the marker and turned to face the class. Pencils slowed their frantic scribbling on paper and Sakura's own stilled, not even halfway through with the last word but it didn't want to move. Maybe it was afraid to disturb him. "Every monday, we will meet in this classroom for lecture and every Wednesday, we'll meet across the hall for lab." He leaned an elbow on the podium directly in front of Sakura and she watched him closely.

She noticed how neat and ironed his clothes were, perfectly in place and even his rolled up sleeves looked as if they were tailor made that way. She found herself staring up at his silver hair that defied gravity as it stood upward but not in the way so many guys her age wore theirs with hardened gel to keep it up. It was both standing up straight and hanging perfectly over his eye. Was this guy even real?

"I like to have an exam every two chapters. The midterm and final will be comprehensive and every question on my exams come right from the lecture. So, if you want to pass, come to class. However, you could have a perfect score on every exam, and still fail if you choose to skip lab. If I'm late and you leave, you'll be counted absent and I will lecture without you. I don't adhere to the '15' minute rule."

Sakura chewed on the inside of her lip. He didn't seem too unreasonable. Maybe Shizune was right...maybe people just didn't want to put the effort into his class and blamed him for their failures. It was more likely than him being an uncontrollable, sadistic tyrant that made girls cry.

"My office hours are listed on the back page of your syllabus. I'm on the top floor of this building, last door on the right. Any questions?" He paused and lifted his eyebrows, waiting for anyone to speak up. Sakura had a hundred questions but kept them to herself, hoping they would all be answered eventually in class.

She felt as if the lecture was drawing to an end but like everyone else, she hesitated before packing up. With a quick glance over the class, Professor Hatake quirked an eyebrow and turned back to the desk in the corner. He gathered his things and behind Sakura, the rest of the students followed suite, shuffling papers and book hurriedly into their backpacks to make a quick exit. She did the same, wondering how many were going to the administration building to withdraw from the class already.

Sakura slid her notebook from the desk and gave a small, quick gasp at the sight of the syllabus slipping out from underneath it. The stapled papers floated in the air for a brief moment before sliding along the tile floor...right beneath the toe of a pair of dark boots. She gulped, her hands pausing halfway inside her backpack as she watched Professor Hatake slowly reach down and pick the papers up.

She stared, her heart thumping as she glanced from the syllabus in his hands up to his face. One corner of his lips lifted in a smirk that was anything but humored. It made the hairs on her arm stand up and she bit her bottom lip as she reached out and took the papers from his hand. "You should be more careful where you put this. Someone could trip over it." He turned and made his way toward the door without a second glance and she was left sitting at the desk, staring after him.

Her head was filled with a thousand thoughts jumbling together like a trainwreck and she tried to shake them from her head as she finished stuffing her things into her bag. As she hurried out into the hall, she couldn't help glancing in the direction he had gone, but he had disappeared around the corner.

All in all, her first day had gone better than she had been fearing the past few days. Sure, she had been a bitch to him unknowingly, and he had made her heart stop beating in her chest once or twice...but, he definitely wasn't the monster she had been imagining.


	3. One Point

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

 **CHAPTER 2**

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Three weeks into the fall semester of her Junior year at Konoha University, Sakura was starting to get back into the swing of things. It was always difficult starting a new semester, juggling a decent social life, work and school but she had adjusted better than she had thought she would. Though the difficulty level of her classes had risen she wasn't having much trouble.

Even Bio-Chemistry was going smoothly. Shizune had been right about the class and Professor Hatake after all. The only way she couldn't pass is if she just didn't try, or didn't show up. And she hadn't missed a day of class since she had started college two years ago and didn't plan to anytime soon. The class size had shrunk, with several students withdrawing after the first lecture and though a few seats had opened up in the back of the classroom, Sakura remained seated in the front row. If anything, it would show Professor Hatake that she wasn't afraid of him and that she was there to learn, not just earn a grade.

Their first test had been a bit tricky. She had studied her ass off the entire weekend, taking her notes to work, skipping on a night out with the girls to read the chapters over and over, and had been confident as she answered each question. But, a little part of her was nervous to get her grade and her stomach clenched as she lowered herself down into her chair the following Monday.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was a drive to push herself harder for this class than the others. Physiology and Anatomy came easy to her as well as the clinical sides of her degree plan. With Bio-Chem...she worked her ass off, both in the lab and in class and the look of surprise on Professor Hatake's face when she had been the first to turn in her exam had given her a bit of pride. She didn't know why, but she was determined to prove to him that she was the best damn student he'd ever have.

The clock on the wall above the board ticked ten past the hour and Sakura crossed her legs, tapping her pen against the side of her desk. Professor Hatake's lateness was something she couldn't get used to. It annoyed her that he was so nonchalant and laid back about the time, yet became such a dictator when it came to the curriculum. He refused to answer any questions until the end of the lecture, absolutely hated if someone left early, and could strike fear with just a glance into anyone who dared try any of those things. Sakura had made a habit of scribbling questions in the margin of her notes to save until the last few minutes when he allowed them to ask about the lecture, though she always kept them to herself. It wasn't that she was afraid to speak to him. She just didn't want him to make her feel dumb.

The side door swung open on it's hinges and Sakura felt her stomach drop at the sight of Professor Hatake, a stack of familiar papers tucked under his arm. The red marks on the pages made her feel sick to her stomach as she recognized them as their tests from last week. God, she hoped hers wasn't one of the ones heavily decorated with red X's.

He slapped the stack onto the desk, glanced over the silent classroom and sighed. "These," He put his hand down on the tests, "were abysmal. I know this class is hard, but it was like a bunch of children were answering these questions."

Sakura shrunk down in her seat and felt her hopes of a good grade crashing hard against the tile floor beneath her. She had studied for hours! There was no way she made anything below a B...and even then, she would be devastated. Her breath froze in her chest as she watched Professor Hatake, her eyes fixed on his hand that trapped their tests beneath it.

He folded each test down the middle to hide the grades before calling their names one by one. The first two students looked pale as they glanced down at their grade and Sakura pursed her lips. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to see the look of disappointment he was giving everyone so far. She didn't want him to see her as just another student forced to take his class and a student who would be thankful for a C.

"Haruno." God, she had never heard her name spoken so sharply. It startled her and for a split second, her body refused to move. Her hands gripped the edge of her desk and she glanced up at him, meeting his half-lidded gaze. How could he look so sleepy and so intense at the same time? She pushed herself from her desk and crossed the short space between them, her stomach flipping like a dying fish inside her gut.

The look on his face wasn't one of disappointment by the time she had reached him. It had shifted so suddenly it caught her off guard like a mask had been slipped off. The corner of his lips lifted slightly, exactly as they had the first day of class when he had picked her syllabus up off the floor. Her heart triple beat inside her as he held the test out, keeping his grip on the paper for just a bit longer. Before she could even breathe, he called out the next name on the stack of tests and she stepped back, unfolded the papers in her hand.

An 89 had been written in red and circled on the front page of her test and she breathed a sigh of relief though she was a bit crestfallen. She had been so hopeful for an A, had been confident she had made at least a 90. Sure, a B wasn't bad, but she was wanting to really surprise him. Instead, she barely squeaked by...well, by her standards anyway.

She sat back down and stared at the two, red numbers sitting in the circle at the top of her test. The rest of the students got their grades and Professor Hatake frowned at the class. "Look them over but I want them turned back in. If you have any questions, see me after class." He popped the cap off a marker and turned toward the board, launching into the next lecture.

Sakura tried to follow along the best she could, using any spare seconds to glance over the questions that she had missed on her test. He counted off two points for every wrong answer and she couldn't figure out how he calculated her grade as an 89 until she got to the last page. He counted one point off for an answer...that she was sure she had gotten right.

What?

Sakura ignored the lecture for a moment while she flipped the pages of her notebook back to the previous chapter. She remembered exactly when they had covered Amino Acids and quickly found the section in the mass of yellow highlighted notes. 'Amino Acids are joined together using Peptide Bonds to make proteins'...

She had left off the 'to make proteins' in her test answer. Surely he wasn't counting a point off just for that!

Frowning, she flipped back to the current page of her notes and tried to focus on what he was saying but it was difficult. She had spent the last few weeks regretting the way she had talked to her friend's about him, or the way she called him an ogre and dick head before she had even stepped foot in his class. And, this is how he acts? Counting off a whole point for three mesley words.

She bounced her foot and tapped her pen against the top of her notebook as she glanced from the board to the clock and back again, anxiously waiting for the lecture to end. She had never stayed behind after class, had never even spoken up or even made so much as a peep during his class...talking to him one on one made her suddenly more nervous than she had been about seeing her test grade but, she couldn't just let it go.

As he capped the marker and turned around to face the class, Sakura felt as if someone had let all of the air out of her lungs. She tried to rehearse exactly what she would say to him but everything she thought up sounded horribly stupid in her head. He would laugh her out of the classroom for sure. He stepped to the lectern a few feet in front of her and she shifted in her seat, keeping her eyes down to the floor as he waited for any questions.

He pointed over her head and someone cleared their throat from the back of the classroom. "Will you be scaling these grades?"

Sakura glanced up now, looking at him from under her lashes as he blinked in disbelief at the guy's question. "Scale your test grades? No. I don't scale. You keep the grade you earned." He pointed to another question, this time directly behind Sakura and she could have swore she saw his eyes glance to her for a brief moment.

"Do you give any extra credit?" The girl behind her asked in a flirty tone. Ugh. Sakura didn't look back but she could just picture her twirling her hair around her finger as she batted her eyelashes at him. Did this chick honestly think someone like him was going to fall for that? He was clearly dead serious about this class...a little flirting would be like throwing a grain of sand against a brick wall and expecting it to crumble.

Professor Hatake's mouth widened in a dazzling smile and Sakura blinked, completely taken aback by how...handsome he was. It made her heart skip a beat and she quickly looked down, hoping he didn't notice the surprise written across her face. "No, I'm not a fan of extra credit. If no one had passed the test, I would redo it. But, obviously someone studied because the highest grade was an 89. If they can do it, so can you."

Heat rushed to Sakura's face as she glanced down at the two, red numbers at the top corner of her test. She quickly pushed it under her notebook, hiding her grade from any curious eyes. She didn't quite know how she felt about making the highest grade but a small part of her was beaming with pride. It wasn't exactly the grade she had been hoping for but, it was better than everyone else. For a second, she debated on whether to even dispute the three little words she had left off of an answer…

No one else asked a question and Professor Hatake dismissed them, instructing them to lay their tests on his desk before they left. Sakura took her time packing up, glancing at each student who passed by and grumbled complaints as they filed out of the room. From the side door, a student she didn't recognize slipped in and nodded a hello to Professor Hatake. Sakura frowned and glanced down at her test as the two stood by the desk and made small talk about the upcoming class.

She wanted to lay the test down and walk out, to keep her protests to herself and leave her grade at an 89. But, god it would feel so good to have an A...the only A in the class. Squaring her shoulders, she left her book bag in her chair and stepped up to the desk, holding her test close to her chest as she glanced between Professor Hatake and a dark haired boy that looked to be around her age. His hair was pulled back behind his head and he looked just as bored and sleep deprived as Professor Hatake...surely it wasn't his son…

Sakura opened her mouth and quickly clamped it shut as Professor Hatake turned his head toward her and raised a slender eyebrow. Oh god, she completely forgot how to speak. Glancing down at her test, she swallowed and flipped to the last page, pointing to the red X he had marked on her answer. "I don't understand why you took a point off for this." She hated how timid and shy she sounded.

He stared at her for a second and Sakura glanced to the boy at his side. He smirked and leaned on the desk, glancing back at her professor, waiting for a reaction from the man. "I-I know I didn't put exactly how you worded it in your notes but...it is correct." The tension that hung in the air was palpable and Sakura wondered if anyone had ever questioned this man's authority...or at least lived to tell about it.

"You want credit for half an answer?"

"No. I just don't think what I put was wrong. Or half wrong. Because I summarized another answer on the front page and you didn't count any points off of that one." She flipped the test over and showed him that answer as well.

The two men shared a glance before Professor Hatake folded his arms over his chest and Sakura tried not to notice the shape of his muscles beneath his shirt. "I could always take a point off for this half answer as well." He watched her closely and she felt herself shrinking under his scrutiny.

This wasn't turning out like she had hoped and she gulped knowing it was better to play confident than cower away from him, even if she felt anything but confident. Shrugging one shoulder, she glanced up at him, noticing for the first time the scar that stretched from above his left eyebrow down to his cheekbone. She blinked, trying to force it from her mind and focus on her test. "If you think that's fair. I just don't see why one answer can be wrong and the other isn't."

He stared at her for a second that seemed to stretch into hours and Sakura wondered if she had made a mistake pushing her luck. The guy to his left shook his head and turned to check his phone, clearly bored with them now. Professor Hatake pulled her test across the desk toward him and snatched a red Sharpie from his briefcase. He crossed out the 89 on the top corner and scribbled a new number before sliding it back to her.

Sakura stared down at the 90, unable to contain her smile. She beamed up at him, a thanks on her lips but was quickly cut off by him snatching his briefcase off the desk. "Next time, be sure to answer in full. I won't give anymore points." He glanced from her to the guy behind him before making his way out of the classroom.

Once the door shut, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and turned to make her way back to her desk where she had left her book bag. She shouldered it and headed to the door, her steps a bit lighter and the smile still sitting happily across her lips. "Consider yourself lucky." The guy at the desk behind her said before she could cross into the hallway.

She glanced back at him as he lounged in the chair, folding his hands behind his head. "I've been his TA for over a year now and I've never seen him give a single point to anyone. He must like you."


	4. Human

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

Sakura drew in a deep breath, taking in the rich aroma of the coffee shop around her. The muffins that were freshly baked swirled with the mocha and chocolate scents and warmed her from the inside out. She wasn't sure if anyone truly loved their jobs but, she did for the most part. It definitely wasn't something she wanted to do for the rest of her life. For where she was in her life at the moment though, it was perfect. Especially days like this one when summer was coming to an end and there was a slight breeze blowing through the door she had propped open with an old book and people could come inside and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee. It was nice, even though the shop was particularly slow today. There was one older woman seated in the corner of the cafe, her fingers typing rapidly at the laptop open on the table but otherwise, the place was empty. Sakura definitely wasn't complain.

They had the day off from school for a holiday with most people spending the last of the summer warmth out of town. And after a weekend of hanging with friends and distracting herself from school work with a bit of social life, she was thankful for the Monday off. Sure, she wouldn't have minded sitting in for another lecture in Biological Chemistry, but she had enjoyed sleeping in all morning. She leaned an elbow onto the counter beside the register and watched the people walk by outside the huge glass doors in front of her.

The streets were littered with puddles that refused to soak into the ground after all the rain over the weekend and there was a hint of autumn hanging in the air. With a sigh, Sakura watched an elderly man help his wife down the curb before they made their way toward the post office across the street. She was just imagining her own future, walking hand in hand with her husband down the street twenty years from now when a stick of chalk slammed down on the counter top beside her elbow. She jumped back with a yelp and blinked up at Tenten's frowning face.

"I officially suck." She spun the chalkboard sign around for Sakura to see and the girl barely covered her mouth before she let out a laugh. It was clear Ten had been trying to draw a steaming cup of coffee but it looked as if the entire thing was melting and instead resembled a steaming pile of...well, something that definitely was not coffee.

"Oh...well, it's not that bad." She tried to reassure her but it was no use.

Tenten gave her a deadpan stare before swiping a towel over the chalk drawing. With a sigh, she put her hands on her hips and turned back to Sakura, handing over the stick of chalk. "You try. I just want it to say 'coffee is always a good idea' but my handwriting sucks and so do my drawings." The brunette folded her arms over her chest and took a step back, completely done with the whole task. Sakura tried not to laugh at her friend's frustration but it was difficult. She pinched her lip between her teeth and turned to the board, wiping away the last remaining lines.

"I don't think I'll be much better."

"Make it say whatever you want. I seriously don't care anymore and I wish we didn't even have to do them at all." She pushed herself up onto the counter, something their manager frowned on them for, and leaned over Sakura's shoulder to watch. Tenten somehow was always able to slip under the radar when it came to things they weren't allowed to do. Their manager would usually scold Sakura for the smallest mistakes like forgetting to clean the muffin tray, while he let her co-worker could get away with much worse.

Chalk in hand, she stared at the board and attempted to draw a coffee mug sitting on a plate. It looked like a deflating balloon with a line beneath it. Both she and Tenten burst into laughter at the same time and she hurriedly swiped the towel over the chalk, her cheeks growing pink. "I'm no more of an artist than you are! Why do we have to have a cup at all?" She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and tried one more time.

She outlined the handle of the mug just as the girl behind her began snickering uncontrollably. "What in the world is that?!" Tenten pointed down at the board and Sakura sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the her.

"It's a mug!"

"It looks like a tit."

"That's the handle!" Sakura couldn't help giggling now, turning her head to the side to see the drawing at a different angle. Now It definitely looked like a woman's breast and laughter bubbled up through her throat until her shoulders were shaking. The woman in the corner rolled her eyes at them and snatched her headphones from her purse to drown out their laughter.

Sakura ignored the annoyed cluck of the woman's tongue as she drew another 'mug' beside the last one, sending her co worker into a fit at her side. She put the finishing touches on the mugs that now looked like a pair of tits and Sakura had tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to finish out the handle, that also doubled as a nipple. "Do...do you think anyone will notice?" Tenten gasped, holding onto the counter to keep herself steady.

The pink haired, red faced girl couldn't bring herself to respond through her fits of giggles and uncontrollable laughter. That is, until someone at the counter cleared their throat and the two girls whirled around, the chalk slipping from Sakura's hand to crack into pieces at her feet. A man stood smiling softly at them, his hands crossed over his chest as he glanced toward the chalkboard sign. "So sorry you had to witness our lack of talent," Tenten said as she stepped between him and the sign. "What can I get for you?"

Sakura ducked to hide her smirk as she quickly turned to the folding sign and wiped the naughty drawing she had created from the slate. "Just a small coffee please, two sugars."

"Will you be wanting to enjoy that delicious cup here or do you plan to take it with you?" It was pretty clear that Tenten was a bit smitten with her handsome customer. On her good days, she barely greeted the customers with more than a 'what'll it be'. In the year she had worked there, Sakura hadn't heard such a sugary tone from the girl. With an eyebrow raised, she glanced back at her friend as the customer chuckled to himself. "I'm meeting a friend here soon, hopefully. He's rather infamous for being late so maybe by the time I finish my coffee, he'll show up." He slipped a few bills from his wallet and paid for his cup, dropping an extra two into the tip jar beside the register.

Now, he definitely had the brunette's attention. She loved the cute guys, especially when they were extra generous. Sakura scoffed and tossed her dusty rag into a bucket under the counter as she leaned a hip against the back of the glass muffin case. "That sounds like one of my professors. I swear, he's never been early...or even on time! It's always at least fifteen minutes past that he decides to stroll in."

Tenten snatched a glass mug off the stack beside the espresso machine as the handsome customer tilted his head and smiled strangely to the girls. "Who's your professor?"

"Hatake." She had to force his name out of her mouth.

The smile that stretched across the man's lips made Sakura's stomach flutter nervously and she suddenly felt a bit weak in the knees. She could feel her knuckles turning white as she gripped the counter, waiting with a held breath for him to laugh and say it wasn't the same. They were talking about two different guys...both with a horrible habit of being late. There was no way it was the same. "What a coincidence." He took the mug from Tenten and smiled a thanks before turning to the worn, leather couch that stretched beneath the front window.

Tenten put her hands on her hips as she watched him take a seat and sip at the brew she had made for him. "Man, he's cute." She said out the side of her mouth but Sakura was too preoccupied with the realization that _he_ would be standing in her coffee shop soon. Maybe he wouldn't show up...maybe he'd be so late his friend would just get up and leave and she would be spared the awkward moment of seeing him outside of class.

Yeah, right.

"Hello?" Ten asked as she waved a hand in front of Sakura's face, breaking through her distracted gazing at the back of a chair across the room. "Earth to Sakura!" Shaking her head, she snatched Ten's wrist and pulled her through the swinging door that lead to their tiny kitchen with a wide, industrial sink filled with muffin pans and coffee mugs. She whirled around and held her hand toward the door, in the direction the man was sitting.

"He's coming here!" She hissed, glancing quickly through the window of the door to make sure no one had stepped up to the counter.

"Who?" Tenten's eyes were wide, as if she hadn't heard a single thing her cute customer had said earlier. Of course, she had been too focused on trying to catch a glimpse of the guy's ass as he walked away to even register what he had said.

"My professor! The one that's all...scary and mean!"

Ten stared blankly at her and shrugged a shoulder. "So?" She turned to the spare mugs they had stacked on a tray and turned to make her way back to the front to refill the stash they had. Sakura stepped in front of her and put her hands on her hips. "So...I don't want him here."

With a shrug, the brunette pushed past her and glanced back. "Then stay back here. If he's half as hot as the other one, I'll be glad to handle it all by myself." She pushed the door open with her hip and disappeared around the wall. The sound of the mugs clanking together as the girl stocked them echoed into tiny kitchen. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at the tip of her sneakers, groaning at the sight of herself. Why had she worn such an old 'U of K' sweatshirt? Of all the days she had decided to be comfortable at work, it had to be the one _he_ came through the door.

Paired with her fraying jean shorts, she looked as if she had just rolled out of bed and thrown on whatever was lying in the floor. With a sigh and a pout of her bottom lip, Sakura made her way back to the front of the shop to stand behind the counter. She watched the streets in front of the doors, her heart pounding hard as she glanced around the faces of the people making their way by. "So, is he?" Tenten asked behind her.

She almost ignored her but glanced over her shoulder to the girl. "Is he what?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hot."

Sakura refused to answer her and faced the front again, her fingernails tapping at the marble counter beneath her hands as she waited nervously for the moment a flash of silver hair caught her eye. Behind her, she could hear her friend chuckle and mumble something that sounded like 'I guess so' under her breath. Tenten took the empty mug tray to the back and Sakura wondered how long she could stand there, like a statue, waiting for him to show up. The seconds seemed to tick by in slow motion.

His friend sipped at his coffee and thumbed through a random magazine they had laying around the tables and couches. Maybe Ten was right...she could always hide in the back and avoid the situation all together but then...she wouldn't be able to see him. And for some reason, a little nagging thought in the back of her head was weaving its way through her mind, happy that this was happening. She knew it was probably her lonely subconscious, still reveling in the thought that _he liked her_ , as his TA had said.

She rolled her eyes at her thoughts and knew she couldn't stand here all day, waiting for him to show up. Turning to the espresso machine, she wiped it, despite it being clean already. She pushed the cream and sugar against the wall and organized the box of tea bags alphabetically by flavors. It didn't take as long as she had hoped and frowned down at the box as she snapped the lid back down.

"Finally." The man at the window said as he flipped the magazine closed. Sakura froze, her fingers gripping the box of tea. A strange chill rolled over her arms and she shivered despite her sweatshirt. "You know, it's one thing to keep your friends waiting but your students too?" The man clucked his tongue in disappointment and Sakura knew she should turn around and greet him, smile, do _anything_ but stand facing the wall like a crazy person. She breathed deeply through her nose, holding it as she closed her eyes. It was just like last Monday, when she stood before him and his sleepy-eyed TA to question her grade. It was better to fake the confidence than let him see that she couldn't handle it.

She turned and was momentarily caught off guard by how relaxed he looked, dressed in a gray shirt that had three buttons beneath the neck, all open. Between them, she could see a stretch of skin and Sakura blinked to keep her eyes off of that particular part of him. She didn't need to know that his chest looked _that_ smooth. She forced a smile and stepped up to the counter, keeping her palms flat on the marble slab to hide the annoying tremble that ran through her fingers. "Ms. Haruno." He said politely, glancing with a scowl to his friend.

"Hi. Can I get you anything?"

Before he could answer, his friend leaned against the muffin case, a playful smile stretching across his mouth. "I've been told that you've been coming to class a bit late." He shook his head in disappointment and Sakura felt her stomach somersault inside her belly. Professor Hatake cut his eyes to her and she couldn't help ducking her head to hide behind a curtain of pink hair that fell from behind her ear.

"Just a coffee, please. Black."

With a nod, she turned and hurried to coffee machine, catching a glimpse of Tenten staring at the men through the little window in the swinging door. Sakura shook her head and snatched a styrofoam cup from the stack and hoped he was taking his coffee to go. Not because she wanted him to leave but, because she didn't trust herself not to say something stupid to him. The door to the back swung open and Tenten was by her side in a flash.

"Okay, how are they both so good looking?" She whispered a bit too loudly and Sakura shushed her before snapping the black cap on the cup.

"Does he still try to be a hard ass in class?" The man asked and Sakura faltered, her steps slowing as she made her way back to the counter. She glanced from him to her professor, her mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish.

"Uhm…" She set the styrofoam cup down on the counter and shook her head. "Not really."

"Thank you," Professor Hatake said to her before turning to his friend. "Since you're in such a good mood today, Iruka, I'm sure you don't mind paying for my coffee."

His friend shook his head and reached for his wallet but Sakura couldn't help staring at the taller of the two. She couldn't quite tell by the annoyed look on his face but she suspected that he was a bit embarrassed or uncomfortable with their attention on him. He took a look around the coffee shop as Iruka counted out the money for the coffee and Sakura felt the corner of her lips tugging into a smile.

The nagging little voice in the back of her head was sighing happily at the brief moment that she could watch him without the tension that surrounded his class. He, however, looked a bit less relaxed than he did in his lectures, as if he weren't used to being outside of his lab or classroom. It was kind of endearing to see just a tiny flash of uncertainty on his face.

Iruka leaned toward her to pay for the cup of coffee and smiled. "Don't let him fool you. He may be tough on the outside, but it's all an act." He gave a wink and Sakura turned her gaze back to her professor. His usually stoic face was one of surprise now and the flush of pink across his cheeks made Sakura's heart beat a bit faster. He was blushing. She couldn't help smile at him looking so cute and so...human.

She tucked her hair behind her ear as she smiled softly to him, unable to do much else. That flash of vulnerability across his face was something she wanted to remember for a very long time. It would make talking to him much easier in the future. Not to mention it made him seem almost adorable.

He recovered quickly, his hardened, stern mask back in place and let his friend leave with a chuckle before he turned back to Sakura. "Thank you for the coffee. I'll see you Wednesday?"

"I can't wait." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she felt the color drain quickly from her face as she clamped her lips shut. Professor Hatake paused, one hand on the door, a bit taken aback by her bluntness. But, it wasn't long before the corner of his lips lifted in that same, slight smirk he seemed to reserve just for her before he turned and followed his friend out onto the street. The coffee shop was quiet once again aside from the tapping of the woman on her laptop. All Sakura could hear was her own heartbeat in her ears.

"Can't wait, huh?" Tenten asked as she hoisted the newly redrawn chalkboard sign over the counter to set outside, her eyebrows wiggling suggestively as a little part of Sakura died inside. She felt the color rush back to her face all of a sudden and she dropped her head into her hands with a groan. Her stomach had finally ceased all of its flipping and settled like a stone in the pit of her stomach. Can't say a coherent sentence around him, but she has no trouble telling him she can't wait to see him in class. Great. Now, he would definitely think she was crazy.


	5. Challenges

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

The hallways of the Sciences building were eerily quiet so early in the morning as Sakura sat on the floor, her back to the wall, reading through the upcoming chapter in her Bio-Chem textbook. It wasn't like her to be two hours early to class but she had woken up at 5 that morning and after an hour of staring at the ceiling with no hope of falling back to sleep, she decided to just get ready and go to class. A few unlucky students had signed up for a physics class at 7:30 that semester and Sakura had spent a few minutes listening to the monotone lecture that echoed through the halls before getting a jumpstart on next week's chapter. She had read most of it by the time others started filing into the building for the day.

She moved her feet up under her legs to make room for a string of students marching toward their 8 o'clock classes. It was impossible to concentrate with so much noise and she resorted to staring down at the diagrams and charts wedged between walls of text. She drug her bright pink highlighter over several figures as the noise began to dwindle. Doors shut and lectures began and Sakura was left in the silence of the empty hallway once again. She stifled a yawn behind her hand as she leaned her head back and let it rest against the concrete wall behind her. The lab they used was directly across the hall from the lecture hall and from where she was sitting, she could see the dry erase board where Professor Hatake stood every Monday, scribbling formulas and chemical structures as he lectured. She tried not to think of the incident in the coffee shop but it was no use. Every time it popped into her mind she cringed and wanted to smack herself in the head for being so dumb. This time was no different and she groaned as she replayed the breathless, little tone she had spoken to him in.

She let her head fall into her hands as she tried to scrub the memory from her mind. Knowing he probably thought of her as a moron was an awful feeling. All she had wanted was to get a good grade, pass his class, and move on to the next semester. And yet, here she was, trying to be friendly and flirty like...like he was Sasuke Uchiha or something!

She groaned into the palms of her hands, definitely not wanting to go down that road in her thoughts right now. Three weeks with no texts, no calls, and absolutely nothing from the guy she had been crushing on so hard and had slept with, was beginning to take its toll on her. Maybe that was why she was acting so weird around Professor Hatake. She was just feeling left behind by the guy she thought she loved and was taking out her frustrations by flirting with the hot professor.

Wait.

Since when did she think he was hot?

"Are you alright?" The deep voice above her made Sakura gasp and clutch her chest as she looked up at the familiar face of the man who had been occupying far too much of her thoughts lately. He had his brief case hanging by a thick, leather strap from one shoulder and a jacket draped over his arm as he looked down at Sakura with a look of confusion. She realized she must have looked like a crazy person to him, sitting in the floor, holding her head in her hands. Great. Now he thought she was an airhead and a freak.

She cleared her throat and pushed her hair behind her ears with a quick nod. "Uhm, yes. I'm just...trying to read ahead and was a bit frustrated trying to understand it all." Which wasn't true. She was having no trouble at all in the class and she wished she could kick herself for dumbing herself down. Why was it that when she was around him, she did the complete opposite of what she would normally do? Why was it so hard for her to just be her normal self? The terrifying thought that this was her normal self came to mind as he shifted the strap of his brief case before glancing down to the page she had left her text open to.

"Ah, yeah. A lot of people have trouble with the bio-molecular structures. I wouldn't have guessed you'd be one of them, though." The butterflies returned to her stomach in full force and she ducked her head to hide a blush that crept along her cheeks. "You do know you're over an hour early for class, right?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep. Not that I'm super excited to be in lab or anything...I just got tired of laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, ya know?." God, she was an idiot. This was exactly why she didn't want to be her normal self...her normal self was a dork! She clamped her mouth shut as he smiled down at her and she was suddenly aware of how well his clothes were fitting today. His dark, button-up shirt was somehow loose and relaxed yet looked as if it were made exactly for his body and his pants...oh, god, she did not need to be staring at his pants!

Professor Hatake nodded, his lips curling into a smirk as he nodded toward the lab door. "Well, I'll unlock the door so you don't have to sit on the floor." He fished a key ring from his front pocket and pushed the door to the lab open as she gathered her books and stuffed them back into her backpack. Sakura uncrossed her legs and blinked in surprise at the hand he held out to help her stand up. She hesitated for a brief moment, glancing from his waiting fingers up to his face framed so handsomely by his silver hair. Her hand slid into his before she could even realize what she was doing and he pulled her effortlessly to her feet, making her head swim just a bit...whether it was from the sudden movement or the warmth of his fingers on hers, she didn't quite know.

Before she could even process what was happening in her head and stomach, he dropped her hand and let her walk into the lab ahead of him. She chose the stool she had been sitting at for the past few weeks and set her belongings in the floor beside her. "Thanks." She said, the cracking shyness in her voice making her cringe just a bit.

He nodded and laid his briefcase down on the lab table at the front of the room before glancing at her with a raised eyebrow. "You're pre-med, correct?"

"I am."

"I wasn't even aware this class was a prerequisite for that particular plan." Sakura watched him take his lab book from his briefcase, her eyes falling to his fingers as he flipped through the pages. She pushed all thoughts of how strangely pretty his hands were from her mind and cleared her throat.

"It's only required for the ones accepted into the new program they're trying to implement. Anyone accepted before this semester won't be required to take it."

He paused and looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. "Yet, you're taking it anyway? I've never heard of someone voluntarily taking this course."

She didn't know how to respond and could only raise one shoulder in a shrug and smile. It was no secret that Sakura was a good student. Since she began school the lowest grade she had ever received was a C on a Calculus test in high school...and that was only because she had had the stomach virus and could barely concentrate on much else aside from the constant nausea. College was no different. She worked hard and busted her ass for the grades she earned. "I don't want to miss out on something that could help me in the future just because it might be difficult. Besides, I like the challenge."

The air in the room shifted, turning a bit warmer as he put both hands down on the table and stared at her, a strange expression passing over his face. It was a mix between admiration and curiosity and made Sakura bite down on her bottom lip to distract herself from the heat creeping up through her body. For several seconds, they kept their eyes on one another until Sakura swallowed and turned her gaze to the table beneath her hands. She reached down and grabbed her backpack from the floor, not sure of what she was even looking for. She had to distract herself from him just for a moment until she could make sense of the jumbling thoughts inside her head.

Professor Hatake muttered something about needing to go to his office for a bit and he left without a glance back, leaving Sakura by herself. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in and gave up rummaging through her bag. Shaking her hair from her face, she looked back at the table he had been standing behind and sighed, wishing she could kick herself. There was no way...no way in hell she could let herself develop a crush on this guy.

Thursday afternoons were always dull for Sakura. She usually spent the time off of work and out of class at the library, catching up on school work or studying for upcoming tests. Today was no different and she had been sitting in the top floor of the massive university library, reading the same paragraph over and over again, trying to force her brain to concentrate on her physiology test next week. The words refused to do much else aside from blur on the page and after several minutes of no change, she gave up, pressing her palms into her eyes until she saw stars.

It was no use. Her mind was clearly made up, refusing to focus on school work and instead wanted to float through her daydreams that always seemed to turn in one of two directions...to her drunken night with Sasuke or the other man that had been occupying too much of her thoughts lately. Sakura sighed and pulled her phone out of the outside pouch of her back pack, hoping for a distraction from her studies and her thoughts. She pressed the button on the side of the device and frowned, not even sure what she had been expecting. It had been an entire week since she had last texted Sasuke, a week since they shared a polite 'how have you been' exchange and then nothing.

She didn't understand. Did he not have a good time with her? He had said he did and had even admitted late one night that he thought about it sometimes and wanted to see her again. She had blushed profusely as he told her that he would often remember back to that night and how she had looked in his bed It had been exactly what she had wanted to hear but it wasn't long before their texts became more and more platonic and downright boring. It had been over two months since he had even mentioned their night together.

Sakura sighed and dumped the phone back into her bag, wondering if she should just swear off boys altogether and concentrate more on her studies. But, how much more focused could she get on them? She was already doing well in every class to the point where she was almost bored with it all. Her clinical classes kept her busy as they were a more hands on kind of approach but it came naturally to her and didn't require her to study as hard as the other classes. Sighing, she sat back in the uncomfortable wooden chair and tapped her pen across the stack of notes beneath her hand. She let her eyes wander to the tall windows that looked out over the campus courtyard. The fountain sat to the far left, free from students sitting around the edge as a steady rain had been falling all morning long. The brick sidewalk lead up to the library before forking toward the Sciences building. The modern monstrosity stood looming fifty yards away and Sakura frowned, wishing she hadn't chosen a table facing this side of campus. She needed a distraction from her thoughts, not a reminder of the man she was trying hard to ignore.

She eyed the building across the lawn, counting the windows across the top floor as she wondered which office was his. Was he there now, possible gazing out at dreary day the same as she was? He didn't seem like much of a daydreamer. No, she could picture him sitting in his office, grading test papers or typing lesson plans on his computer, serious and focused. Then again, she didn't know much about him at all. What had his friend said the other day? The tough exterior was all an act. Maybe he was a dreamer. Maybe he was in his office right now, watching the heavy rain clouds while his mind wandered a million miles away.

Sakura felt the corner of her lips lift as she looked back down to her notes. It took a fraction of a second for her to realize that a flash of silver had moved across the courtyard beneath the library. Her pulse quickened and she stood, sending her chair loudly scraping across the tile floor as she stood and stared down to the sidewalk.

Professor Hatake moved toward the Science building, a small stack of books held close to his chest with one arm. Sakura hurried to the window, pressing her hands to the glass as she watched him wave to someone across the lawn. She followed where he was looking and the sight of a woman smiling, heading toward him made her swallow hard. Don't hug...don't hug...Sakura didn't know if she had spoken out loud but she pushed closer to the glass, watching from three stories up as Professor Hatake welcomed the woman into his open, empty arm. Her breath clouded the window as she exhaled and Sakura quickly wiped her sleeve over the fog. The pair on the lawn below stood talking for several minutes, the rain drizzling around them.

She couldn't help analyze the woman, from the dark hair on her head to the oversized tan coat that hung to her knees. She looked so...boring? That made Sakura feel like a bitch for thinking but she couldn't help it. Her stomach clenched so tightly as she watched them talk that she almost felt nauseous.

If they went in separate directions, she'd breath a sigh of relief. But, if she followed him wherever he was going, Sakura didn't know what to feel. She thought briefly about how embarrassing it would be for one of them to look up at the windows and spot her peering down at them like a psycho. Her cheeks turned pink and she felt the urge to turn away, leave him to his own business but, she stayed anyway and watched him. How did he manage to keep his hair so poised in the rain? It wasn't natural and though he had seemed so human in the coffee shop when he had blushed, he had gone back to feeling alien to Sakura. He hadn't flustered a single time, hadn't looked the least bit vulnerable or uncomfortable during lab. Even after they had shared that look before class, he had returned to his usual self as if nothing had happened.

Surely, he had felt the heat that made its way into the room around them. It had been hard for her to ignore and even now, she could still recall how it had felt as he looked at her, as if his gaze was burning its way over her skin. Or, was it only she that felt it? Maybe she was imagining things, conjuring things that weren't there because she was feeling scorned by Sasuke.

The pair on the ground moved and Sakura swallowed hard as Professor Hatake stepped toward the Science building, his arm outstretched for the woman to lead the way. Together, they made their way into the glass doors and Sakura was left staring as they disappeared inside together. She had looked a bit too old to be a student and she hadn't recognized her as a part of the faculty, though she clearly didn't know them all...did he have a girlfriend? Of course, he did. Guys who looked like that didn't stay single for long. Hell, he could have been married for all she knew.

As she made her way back to the table that she had abandoned her physiology textbook on, she wondered why she even cared. She didn't need to know anything about him aside from what concerned her in his class. Still, no matter how much she tried to force the image of him looping an arm around the woman's waist, a tiny pang of jealousy bounced around her head.


	6. Turn Me On

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

The apartment was full of friends, acquaintances, and some people Sakura didn't recognize at all for the Ino's birthday.. She watched an unfamiliar girl bounce through the kitchen on her way to grab another beer and Sakura squeezed herself close to the counter to avoid being bumped by her. Making her way back into the living room, she took a seat on the couch next to Tenten and handed her a cold bottle of beer.

"Do you think she really knows this many people?"

"Honestly," Sakura said as she twisted the cap off of her bottle. "I think she just told anyone she could find about the party." The girls watched a group of older guys make their way through the space, heading straight to the patio area as if they lived there. Laughter and clinking of drinks could be heard through the quieter moments that came between songs blaring over the radio. Sakura wondered how Ino could manage a party this size and not be kicked out of the apartment. But, the girl could charm anyone, landlords included. It didn't hurt that her family was wealthy and could afford a sudden spike in rent to cover the annoyances of housing a Yamanaka.

"That seems about right." Ten grinned around the mouth of her beer bottle and waved to Hinata who was inching her way through the crowd. She burst from a circle of gossiping girls and stumbled to the arm of the couch, shaking her head with wide, lavender eyes.

"I thought she said this would be a small gathering!" She shouted over the music and Sakura laughed with a shrug of her shoulders. "She specifically said, 'just a couple of people'!" Hinata ducked under the arm of a massive guy, biceps thicker than Sakura's midsection as he ran to embrace a friend in the kitchen. The party was in full swing but they always were when Ino had planned them. She loved to play hostess and any role where she could boss people around or send them away if they didn't meet her requirements was a dream for her. She currently stood on her front porch, playing bouncer to her own birthday party. Which was probably her gift to herself.

The music shifted and the beat was something that called for dancing. Couples paired off in the living room and out on the small patio with girls breaking off to dance together and guys sitting around watching them press into each other. Sakura couldn't help roll her eyes at the scene and peeled herself from the couch, telling her friends she was going to get some fresh air. Her legs were a bit wobbly as she stood and she briefly regretted having that sixth beer. It wasn't often that she drank alcohol and it definitely showed in her momentary stumbling. A hand reached out to grab her elbow and she pulled away instinctively.

"Easy, Darling." She blinked up into a stranger's face, and wondered if he even went to the same college. He looked fifteen years older than everyone else, his leering smile making the corner of his dark eyes wrinkling as he looked her up and down, lingering a bit too long on her chest. He put a hand to the small of her back in an attempt to guide her back toward the kitchen but she pushed his hand away, shaking her head. "What, you too good to dance?" He called after her.

She ignored him and turned to the door, needing fresh air and a moment to question her best friend's sanity. Who would possibly want all these people in their house? Sakura moved around a couple who were pressed so close together, she wondered if they even had space to breathe and fought to make it to the front door. Ino stood on the front steps surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke as she scowled down at several young looking boys who were all smoking. "Are you even out of high school yet?" She asked with an arched eyebrow, waving the smelly fog from her face. Her stance was closed off and threatening with her arms crossed over her chest, but Sakura could see the amusement twinkle in her blue eyes. She was loving this.

"I don't have to be in college to rock your world, baby." One of the boys said, smirking as two of his friends high-fived him. Sakura rolled her eyes and took Ino by the elbow, turning her around.

"You got this under control?"

Ino nodded and waved the group of boys away, as if she could make them disappear with a flick of her wrist. They walked back down the small path to the street, grumbling beneath their breath about how unfair she was being. "Of course! You know my parties tend to get a bit wild."

"Yeah, I remember the last one." Sakura's face warmed as she thought back to the graduation party for Sasuke in May. It had been Ino's idea of course. They had all been mutual friends of course, but Ino had thrown together a night of lowered inhibitions just for the sole purpose of forcing Sakura to make a move. And she had done just that, falling right into his arms and his bed.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. Maybe tonight, you can get laid by someone better and forget about Sasuke."

"Shut up. I don't need to get laid." Sakura set the beer bottle down onto the porch railing and glanced to Ino's neighboring apartments. The one to the left of her seemed vacant while the other was definitely not. Lights were on inside and the front porch had several pieces of outdoor furniture. "Who lives there?" She asked, peering over his porch rail to try to catch a glimpse inside.

Ino shrugged. "I don't know. Some tutor. He can't be much older than us. Pretty cute but, has a girlfriend." She nudged an elbow to Sakura and nodded toward the door. "You coming back in?"

"Not just yet, I think I'll try to get some air. I'm a bit tipsy." She smiled and lowered herself onto the top step of the stoop. Her friend scoffed and collected a few empty bottles in her arms before turning to the door. "You're such a lightweight, Forehead."

She opened her mouth to call her a pig, but the door shut in her face before she could utter a sound, and Sakura was left alone on the porch. Outside was far more enjoyable already. The loud music was muffled, there were no bumping and grinding bodies, and no groping guys to creep her out. She shuddered at the thought of that creep and tried to wipe the feeling of his hand pressing into her back. She definitely needed a distraction from Sasuke, but she had standards. Sleeping with random guys wasn't the answer to her problems no matter how many times Ino suggested it.

Laying back on her elbows, Sakura glanced up to the sky, watching a few stars that weren't washed out by the city lights twinkle out from behind the clouds. She had left her phone at home to prevent her from constantly checking for new messages but, her fingers still itched to reach for it and check for a text. With a sigh, she laid back on the wooden planks and hoped no one would run outside suddenly and trample her. The alcohol made her head feel as if it were buzzing and her face was flushed despite the cool breeze blowing around her. She needed a quiet moment to lay still and sober up.

Even without her phone, she knew there'd be no text from Sasuke. He had gotten laid, kept up appearances for her sake, and now that enough time had passed, she figured he was trying to hint to her in the easiest way that there was nothing between them. It hurt. She couldn't deny that. She had liked him from the first day she stepped foot on campus. He had been so detached and unfriendly to her that she thought she had done something wrong. But, she soon found out that he was like that with everyone.

Despite having a class together and being in the same social circles, he hardly spoke to her. She had imagined all sorts of scenarios where he would push her into an empty classroom or come into the coffee shop to ask her out. Of course, none of it happened. It had all been in her head until the night of his graduation. She had found him alone at the party and asked him about the future, about his interests, about anything to get him to finally notice her. He had looked at her with an infuriating smirk as she rambled on and on about herself, saying nothing but observing her. 'Do you want to go to my room?' He had finally asked her after fifteen minutes of her rambling and she could still remember how hard her heart had pounded in her chest.

She couldn't recall if she had said yes or how she had resisted the urge to pass out, but she knew he took her by the hand and lead her to his dorm. Boxes had been stacked around the room, packed with his belongings and waiting to be hauled off to the next chapter of his life. She had squeaked as he had pushed her toward the bed and kissed her, possibly to keep her from talking. The feel of his hands on her hips as he pushed her shorts down was still as fresh on her mind now as it had been that night. The flesh on her thighs tingled at just the memory.

Ugh! She didn't want to think about him anymore!

Sakura slammed her fist down on the porch and stifled a scream behind tightly pursed lips, cursing herself for being so goddamn stupid that night! Through her drunken trip down a morbid memory lane, she hadn't heard the neighboring apartment door open or the tenant taking a seat on the chair on his porch. "Are you okay?" A voice asked and Sakura jumped in surprise. She sat up suddenly and looked to the right where a man sat in the shadows, staring over at her in curious amusement.

There was something about him that she recognized but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She cleared her throat and smoothed her hair down. "I'm fine. Just...Do I know you?"

"You're the girl from the coffee shop, right?" He stood and made his way to the railing that he and Ino shared, sitting halfway on it. In the light of the street lamp, Sakura could see his face now and the familiar scar stretched across his nose. She put a hand to her mouth as her jaw dropped. It was Iruka, Professor Hatake's friend. She shakily made her way to her feet and stepped closer to him.

"You're the cute neighbor?"

Iruka laughed and scratched the back of his head as he gave a small shrug. "I'm not quite sure how to answer that. I hope I didn't get you into too much trouble with Kakashi the other day. He likes to act tough in front of his students. He says if they're afraid of him, they won't bother him after class." He chuckled and brought his own beer bottle to his lips.

Kakashi. She knew that was his name. It was written on the syllabus, and in the faculty directory that she embarrassingly looked through a week or so ago during one of her lonely nights, but, she hadn't heard anyone say the name. It sounded better out loud than it did in her head. She smiled and shook her head, glancing down at the chipping paint on the wood railing. "No, he was fine. I'm Sakura, by the way." She wanted to grill him for information, find out what his schedule was, what he thought of her, whether that girl she had seen him with was his girlfriend or not. Instead, she kept her mouth closed, just in case something stupid decided to slip out.

"So, you're friends with Ino, huh?"

"You know her? She didn't seem to know who you were when I asked who lived here."

Iruka laughed and nodded his head. "She's kind of infamous around here." He pointed his chin to the vacant apartment on the other side of Ino. "The couple that lived there before hated her. They had never lived next to college kids before, I suppose. Parties are just a part of living a few blocks from the University."

"It doesn't bother you? All the music and loud talking?"

Iruka winked playfully at her. "I can play my music just as loud."

"Do you want to come in?" Sakura hoped she didn't sound like one of the drunken girls inside, incessantly flirting with any breathing guy willing to give them attention. Truthfully, she liked Iruka, but wanted to question him about a certain friend he had that interested her.

He looked around her shoulder to Ino's front door and shook his head with a smile. Sakura felt her shoulders fall. "I would but, I'm supposed to have some friends over soon."

Friends...that made her perk back up and she tried to hide the fact that she was dying to ask who those friends were. She opened her mouth to ask but was quickly cut off by the sound of laughter and deep voices from the sidewalk. Both she and Iruka turned to see a group of four making their way down the path to his apartment. Sakura noticed the woman in front first and her heart jerked painfully inside her chest as she recognized her as the same one that she had seen Professor Hatake with. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun but she was strikingly beautiful as she laughed at something one of the men said. Sakura's gaze drifted to the woman's very round belly poking out from behind her jacket. God, she was pregnant.

The beer she has drank earlier was threatening to come back up but she forced it down as Iruka stepped away from her and called out to his friends. The woman lifted her head and raised a hand that was entwined with someone else's. Wait. Either she was cheating on Professor Hatake or they were just friends. The man she held onto was tall, with a head of brown hair and a beard that ran around his jaw line. He was handsome but not the kind of handsome she preferred. Unfortunately, she didn't see that particular kind in the group of four.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and found herself laughing at her own stupidity. She had jumped to conclusions without even thinking that they could be just friends. The group of Iruka's friends glanced her way, all taking on the same face of confusion. The couple stepped up onto the porch first, looking between Sakura and their friend. "A bit young for you, don't you think?" One of them asked under their breath but not quiet enough that she hadn't heard.

Sakura stood awkwardly where he had left her, not sure if she should go back to her own party or wait to say goodnight to Iruka. A little part of her wanted to wait and see if there was a late arriver to his get together. Iruka nodded toward her with a smile. "This is Sakura. She's kept me company while I waited on you."

The couple said 'hello' before making their way inside the apartment. Sakura waved shyly to each one as they stepped inside until all that was left was Iruka. He said something to her but she was distracted by the sound of footsteps jogging down the sidewalk, her heart pounding fast. They both turned to see a familiar head of silver hair on top of just the right amount of handsome for Sakura. She wasn't quite sure if Iruka noticed but she felt herself sigh, as if she had been holding her breath and was finally able to breathe. Professor Hatake's steps slowed as he looked first at his friend before finally taking notice of her in the shadows of Ino's porch. The surprise that swept over his face, Sakura was thankful to notice, was a pleasant one. He put one foot on the bottom step of Iruka's porch and the corner of his lips lifted in a slow smile that made warmth spread slowly over her entire body. "Nice of you to join us." Iruka joked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't tell me you two have been discussing my punctuality again." Sakura blinked. Was he actually making a joke? She felt herself grin and decided to answer before the moment faded away from her. The alcohol in her system whispered encouragements into her ear and she leaned over the railing just a bit, making sure to look innocent without looking too flirty.

"You mean, the lack thereof."

Could he tell she was tipsy? Did she care? She couldn't tell but the way he was looking at her made her shiver from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.

"Of all the complaints I've had from students, being a bit late to lecture has never been one of them." He crossed his arms over his chest as he moved closer to her, keeping himself hidden in the shadow. She wished he would inch just a bit closer. She wanted to see him up close, wanted him to smirk at her and heat her skin with his gaze. "Are you telling me you'd prefer ten extra minutes of my lecture?"

Yes.

She swallowed the word and gave an indifferent shrug, hoping she appeared as cool as she was trying to be. Inside, she was screaming. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

From behind her, laughter erupted inside Ino's apartment and Professor Hatake glanced over her shoulder, a slender eyebrow raised. She did the same and realized that Iruka had went inside, leaving the two of them alone on the porch together. Her breath seemed to freeze in her chest. They were alone in the dark and she had just enough alcohol in her system to give her the courage not to be freaking out. "Sounds like someone's having a good time." His voice broke the silence and she nodded, refusing to look away from him.

"I suppose. Parties aren't really my scene."

"Then, why are you at one?" He had inched closer now, leaning a shoulder against one of the wooden posts. She tried not to think about the fact that he was out here talking to her, instead of inside with his friends or that he was so close she could smell him. Resisting the urge to inhale a deep breath of his scent, she shrugged again.

"It's my best friend's birthday."

"And yet, you're out here alone?" From inside Iruka's apartment, someone called out his name but Professor Hatake ignored it and kept his gaze on her, waiting for an answer. A small part of Sakura wondered if this was his way to find out if she had come to the party with someone. Did he want to know if she was single? Or was she just imagining all of this?

Sakura ducked her head and gave a small smile, glancing up at him through her lashes. "Well, after having some random creep try to dance with me, I figured this was the safest place for me. Besides, I'm already having a better time out here."

"Ah, and why is that?" She watched the corner of his lips lift, the light from the street lamp catching across his jaw. For a moment, it sounded as if he was flirting with her. Oh god, was he flirting with her? She didn't know what to do, what to think, or even how to breathe. The silence stretched between them until it was too late for her to answer. What could she say anyway? That she was happy her hot professor was noticing her and the possibility of him flirting made her feel things she hadn't felt in a very long time.

The front door opened behind her and she shut her eyes, cursing whoever was coming outside. She clenched her fist, wishing she could spin around and punch the through the wall for interrupting their moment. "You're still hiding out here?" Ino poked her head around the door and Sakura turned, glaring at her as the music flowed loudly outside. She took one look at her before eyeing Professor Hatake behind her and her eyebrows lifted high on her forehead.

"I'll be back in a minute." Sakura said through clenched teeth.

"Fine! Take your time but, just remember what happened at my last party." Ino sing songed with a wink and slipped back inside the door, leaving Sakura to gape after her with burning cheeks. A chuckle behind her made her whirl back around, laughing nervously.

"Do I want to know what happened at the last party?" He asked pushing off from the post he had been leaning on. Sakura couldn't help letting her eyes trail down the length of him, wondering how he could make clothes look so good. She had to bite her tongue to keep a tiny moan from slipping out. She was so distracted by how well he was dressed and how hot he was that she almost forgot that he had asked her a question.

Sakura waved a hand and scoffed, returning to the railing, wishing she could just pass through it and stand next to him. "Nothing too interesting." Not nearly as interesting as what was happening now. She wanted to know if he was feeling the same things she was, or if she was projecting her fantasies on the situation. She had made the mistake in thinking Sasuke was more into her than he actually was. The last thing she wanted to do was make that mistake again with someone who was not only out of her league, but very dangerous for her to even like.

"I should go in." Professor Hatake said, making no move to step away. Was he waiting for her to make a move? No. She couldn't do that. It would be a bad idea, especially if he was just being friendly with her. The embarrassment alone from something like that would be too catastrophic for her to survive. Sakura nodded and bit her lower lip as neither of them made a move to leave just yet. "I'll see you on Monday, Ms. Haruno." His voice was low, barely above a whisper and it made certain parts of her anatomy respond almost immediately. He stepped toward the door, his eyes lingering on her until he was facing away from her.

Before he could reach for the doorknob, she found her voice. "Sakura." She said, gripping the railing with both hands as she leaned toward him. He glanced back to her, his eyebrows drawn together. "Just...call me Sakura." The smile he flashed her should not have made her feel this turned on.

"Good night, Sakura."

She waited for him to step inside and close the door behind him before she expelled a sigh, pressing her knees together to ease some of the ache that had began to build the past few minutes. This wasn't good...she went from thinking he was adorable to wanting to rip her shorts off and jump him right there on the porch with just one conversation with the guy. She could blame it on the alcohol or on her lack of intimate encounters but it was hard to deny now that she definitely had a crush on the guy.

Another round of laughter from Ino's apartment made her sigh and glance back at the front door, knowing she should reappear for a while. It was her best friend's birthday after all. She grabbed the empty beer bottle she had neglected and turned to the door, glancing back at the spot on Iruka's porch where Professor Hatake had been standing. Class on Monday was definitely going to be interesting.


	7. Drive

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

With a stack of flyers cradled in her arms, Sakura managed to open the front doors to the Science building, using the toe of her boot to push it far enough back that she could slip inside. For the second semester in a row, she had somehow been designated as the go-to person to oversee the blood drive. It wasn't that she didn't like the job. It would look good on resumes and she got to actually apply some of the skills she learned but, handing out flyers and begging people to donate bodily fluids wasn't exactly how she wanted to spend her free time between classes on a Monday morning.

Shizune had been in a rush, handing off the stack of flyers as she gave Sakura a brief run down of the itinerary for the event. The donation buses would arrive Thursday morning and would be ready to take donations around 8. Sakura had to be there to direct people where to go, help them through the process, and hand out juice and cookies once they were finished. It wasn't a glamorous task but it sure beat the hell out of being stuck in the library, trying to focus on studying for a class she didn't care too much for.

The hallways of the first floor in the Science's building were nearly empty but she was thankful for the peace and quiet as she hung flyers, taping them beside each classroom door. As she made it to the chemistry lab at the end of the hall, she eyed the stairs going up to the next floor. She had never been beyond this hallway, never needing an excuse.

Somewhere, two floors up was Professor Hatake's office. She wondered if he was in there now, sitting at his computer or working on his next lecture. Color lit her cheeks and she gathered her tape dispenser and headed up to the second floor. She hung a few flyers around the walls, moving faster through the task as she kept an eye on the stair well. There would be no point in hanging the blood drive flyers on the third floor. There were only offices up there and most of the professors would definitely be seeing the thirty flyers she had hung up through the building.

Sakura pressed a strip of tape to the paper and the wall before glancing down at the stack in her arms. Then again, asking the staff would be a good way to get the word out. She could give each instructor a flyer and ask them to mention it to their classes. If anything, it gave her a chance to just see where Professor Hatake's office was and whether it was an organized mess like Shizune's or impeccably tidy. There was no in between for it in her head, definitely one or the other.

She hurried up the stairs and felt her stomach roll excitedly inside her belly as she reached the landing of the third floor. The first door on her left was closed with the light off and she glanced to the right to see this one standing wide open. There was a little silver plaque on the door that read 'Prof. Sarutobi' in black letters. Sakura stepped up to it and gently knocked.

The man lifted his head and she felt the urge to take a step back despite his friendly smile. It was the same man that had been hand in hand with the pregnant woman she had thought Professor Hatake was seeing. "Can I help you?" He asked, setting the pen he was writing with down in the crease of his planner.

Sakura forced a smile and held out a flyer to him as she approached his desk. "The medical department is holding a blood drive this Thursday. I was wondering if you'd mention it to your classes so we can have a record turnout of donations." She took a step back as he glanced over the flyer with a nod. He looked up at her and she could see that he definitely recognized her from the other night.

"Sure, I'd be happy to."

"Thanks," She turned toward the door but hesitated before hurrying back into the hallway. Sakura pressed the flyers to her chest and turned back to the man. "Do you know if any of the other instructors are here already? I have a class in twenty minutes and I wanted to try to ask most of them." Which was a lie. She just wanted to know if a particular professor was already in his office so she didn't have to waste her time finding it.

Professor Sarutobi scratched at his beard before nodding toward the hall. "I'm not sure. I know Tenzou is in class this early. You can try Hatake. He's the last one on the right." She nodded and forced herself to walk a normal pace through the corridor of offices despite her heart fluttering. Most were dark behind closed doors but the last one at the end of the hallway was open and lit and she could hear someone shuffling papers inside it. The beat of her heart tripled and she paused beside a closed door, using the rectangular window glass to check her reflection and make sure she looked presentable.

Mondays had become the day she typically dressed a bit nicer on, saving her tee shirts and jeans for her clinical classes. Today, she had picked out a dark red tank top, black pants that hugged her thighs just right and a black sweater since it was getting quite chilly outside. It was a definite improvement from her sweatshirt and cut off shorts he had seen her working in a few weeks ago.

Sakura made sure her hair was straightened before making her way the final six feet to his office door. She tapped her knuckles across the wood, just below his name plate, and peeked around the door frame at him. His office was just as she had pictured it, tidy and neat, with everything in its place. A small, leafy plant sat on the window sill behind him, soaking up the morning sun. Along the back wall was bookshelves filled with texts and reference books with titles that were as long as the spines.

Professor Hatake peered up at her through a pair of reading glasses and she had to stop herself from grabbing her chest. He was back to being absolutely adorable in her eyes and she flashed a smile, waiting for him to ask her to step inside. "Sakura," Her name on his lips made butterflies flutter wildly inside her and she was thrilled he hadn't called her Ms. Haruno, "What do I owe the pleasure?" He slipped his glasses off and tossed them onto the desk.

Sakura stepped forward and grabbed a flyer with shaking fingers, holding it out to him. He took one and glanced over the title. "We're having a blood drive. Do you think you can mention it in class today? Last semester we were five donations shy of setting a school record and I'm trying to get as many people to donate as I can."

He read over the information and Sakura took the brief moment that his eyes were preoccupied to stare at the delicate curve of his fingers as he held the paper. She wondered if they felt as soft as they looked. "You're in charge of this?" He asked, glancing at the bottom where her name was listed as a contact for more information. It was hard to tell, but it almost sounded as if he were impressed. She felt color tint her cheeks and she nodded shyly.

"Sort of. We'd really appreciate it if you could donate."

He looked up at her from over the top of the paper and she felt a familiar warmth seep through her skin. She was beginning to regret wearing her sweater. This morning when she had picked it out, she hadn't been anticipating the look in his eyes when he would look at her. He laid the flyer down on his desk before the corner of his lips lifted in a slow smile that sent a quiver through her body. "Do they let you take the blood?"

"No," She laughed nervously with a shake of her head. "I mean, I know how to do it. I've drawn blood before. But, I'm just there to hand out the cookies and juice and catch anyone that looks like they're going to faint."

"But, you will be there?"

Her response stuck like glue in the back of her mouth and she had to swallow to make sure she wouldn't choke on it. Did he know how much he was affecting her right now? Could he tell that she couldn't stop squirming, that anytime she pressed her thighs together she felt as if she would sigh or moan and it was all because of him? He had to know. Why else was he asking her these questions? He was doing it to torture her and Sakura couldn't believe he'd be so cruel no matter how much she liked it. She could only nod and grip the rest of the papers so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"I'll see what I can do."

Sakura bounced her leg, tapped the end of her pen against the pages of her notebook and chewed the inside of her lip as she patiently waited for the clock to tick down to the moment the lecture would end. Normally, she had no trouble listening to Professor Hatake and taking notes but she was a bit distracted today. Not even staring at his backside as he wrote across the board could keep her focus. He hadn't even glanced at her since he strolled into the classroom several minutes late as usual and she was thankful.

After the looks he had given her in his office, she didn't know if she could handle much more. It was bad enough she was staring at his ass through class but now she couldn't keep her mind from conjuring brief little fantasies that made it all that much worse. Taking notes was out of the question. She had tried to follow along the lecture but was mortified when she looked down and realized she had been doodling the words 'fuck me' in the margin of her notebook as she listened to him speak. She had given up on note taking for the day, vowing to read through the chapter in the textbook and study extra hard for the test instead.

But, the longer she sat with nothing occupying her hands or mind, the more her fantasies turned from imagining him pressing her against him on the dark porch of his friend's house to him kissing his way up the inside of her thighs, using his tongue to explore her most intimate parts. She crossed her legs and sucked in a breath at the sudden pinch of desire that spread through her, praying that no one had heard her gasping. She cursed her seat in the front of the class and wondered if anyone noticed how badly she was squirming today.

The lecture finally ended on protein synthesis and Sakura slammed her books closed with a thud and shoved them hurriedly into her backpack. She thought briefly about going home, taking a hot shower and trying to relieve some of the pressure that had built through the morning but knew she wouldn't be able to make it to her next class. The other students slowly made their way out the door and for once, she wasn't the one to linger around for a chance to take one last peek at Professor Hatake. She had to get out of the building, out of his vicinity to where she could breathe and clear her head and try to hide from the fantasies that now haunted her.

Before she could make it past a group of girls, a voice called her name and she whirled around to stare at one of the boys in her class. He was standing just outside the door with several other students, all eyes on her. "Yeah?" She asked nervously, one hand on the door handle, so close to being outside and free.

The guy who had called her name nodded for her to make her way back to the group and she swallowed, feeling a bit apprehensive. She tucked her hair behind her ear and took a few steps toward them. "Do you think you can ask Hatake for a midterm review Wednesday instead of lab? This test is going to be brutal and we want to know what to expect." She felt a bit blindsided at his question, unsure of why they were asking her .

A girl who looked as if she were on the verge of tears nodded and grabbed Sakura's arm. "Some of us are barely passing. If I don't get an A on the midterm, I'll have to drop the class."

"Why do you want me to ask?" Sakura looked at them all and glanced back through the open door to the classroom. Professor Hatake was still inside, erasing what he had been writing on the board. A few of the guy's shared a look before turning back to her. "He likes you the best."

"Oh my god, no, he doesn't! He scares me!" Which was the truth, he did scare her in the same way a rabbit was terrified of a wolf...even though she liked it.

"You're the only one making A's." The girl with round, expressive eyes guided Sakura back to the door and all but shoved her inside the classroom. She wanted to remind the girl that every Thursday, she spent her day studying her ass off. It wasn't like he was giving her A's; she was earning them.. "Just ask him." The girl hissed and shut the door behind her so hard, the pane of glass rattled and echoed through the room. Professor Hatake glanced up at her and sighed.

"Sakura, it completely slipped my mind about the blood drive. I'll be sure to mention it in lab Wednesday." He seemed genuinely apologetic but she hadn't even noticed that he hadn't brought it up in class. She had been far too preoccupied with imagining his tongue dancing across her skin to notice that. Shaking the mental image from her head, she made her way back down the wide steps of the class until she was level with him, being sure to keep her distance. Not because she was afraid that he might do something, but because she didn't trust herself not to.

"Uhm, actually, some of us were wondering if you could maybe give a review on Wednesday. For the midterm."

"A review…" She watched his eyebrow arch high on his forehead, the one with the scar and she wondered what it would be like to feel it beneath her fingertip. She gulped and took a step closer to him, forcing herself to focus on something other than the features of his face.

"Yes, since the exam will be comprehensive. They-I mean, we- were just thinking it's a lot of material for one exam and we're hoping you could...narrow it down to the specifics." Several seconds passed before he crossed his arms over his chest, pulling the fabric of his shirt tight across the muscles beneath it. Her fingers twitched at her side and she had to tear her eyes away from the line of buttons making its way from his neck down to his waist. She blinked and met his eyes.

"You don't seem to be having a hard time in my class, Sakura." God, her name on his lips made her knees weak. How was it even possible for her to feel like this when there was nothing between them aside from a few questionable flirts?

She pursed her lips and shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not. I mean, it's difficult. Trust me. But, I just know how to study."

"Then, why do you think you need a review?"

"It's not exactly for me. There are other people who are struggling." This was not going the way her classmates had wanted, she was sure. He was twisting everything around and making her uncomfortable, in a very aroused kind of way. She didn't know how much longer she could stand there.

"Mostly because they don't want to do the extra work or are too busy texting in class to pay attention. Everything on the exams is exactly what I cover in class. If they need more than that, maybe they shouldn't be in college." His words stunned her a bit and she blinked, not sure what else to say. It wasn't that she didn't understand, she did. It was a tough class but if she could do it while working a full time job and juggling other classes, then why couldn't anyone else? He stared at her, the mask he wore for his lectures back into place and the man who had been flirting with her in his office long gone now. "Is there anything else?" He asked, his words startling her.

She shook her head as she turned away, not sure what to tell the group outside that counted on her to help them. Without a glance back, she slipped out the door where numerous hopeful faces were watching her. She shook her head with a shrug before they groaned and some chose colorful curses to hiss. "I told you he doesn't like me." She muttered before hurrying out the door, her emotions and thoughts feeling more jumbled and confusing than they had ever been before.


	8. Touch

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

The early morning light colored Sakura's room in a dull gray and without even looking out the curtains, she could tell there were heavy clouds threatening to drop. She didn't know what time it was, only that it was far too early for her to be awake already. At the foot of her bed, she could feel her fat, white cat, Po, purring as he slept soundly between her feet. She was glad that someone was able to sleep even if she couldn't.

She sighed and reached for her phone on the pillow beside her and pressed the center button to light the screen. 5:43 A.M. Ugh. She tossed it back onto the sheets and groaned into the blanket as she pulled it back up around her chin. The blood drive started at 8 and she knew she had to be there just a bit earlier to help Shizune set up the booth. Why did she have to be involved with so many things? All for another bullet point on her future resume.

Sakura rolled onto her stomach, upsetting Po as she pressed her face into the pillow and hugged it close to her. The cat stretched and jumped from the bed, landing with a soft thump on the floor beneath her. She ignored him and shrank as much as she could into the warmth of her bed, wishing she could sleep for another four hours.

Her alarm wasn't set to go off for another hour. If she fell asleep right now, she'd get a decent nap in before she was set to meet Shizune. But, knowing she would be on campus, in front of the Science building for six whole hours only made her thoughts turn to a certain someone she was hoping would show up. He had made it sound like he wanted to be there when she had went to his office, smiling at her and flirting. The thought of him actually showing up made her eyes snap open and her heart beat faster.

How was she expected to manage a blood drive when he would be there, sitting in those chairs, staring at her the entire time. And then she'd have to sit beside him and make sure he was able to stand, offer him juice and cookies...Being that close to him was something she didn't think she was ready for. Could she stop herself from reaching out and feeling his skin beneath her fingertips?

Sakura groaned and buried her face back into her pillows, wishing she could purge her mind of all these fantasies of him. He was her professor, a very scary one at that! Even if they did feel attraction for each other, it wasn't like they could act on it. It would always be this frustrating flirting that would lead nowhere. And she'd be stuck with this infuriating ache that she hadn't felt in a very long time, a pressure that had been temporarily relieved by one drunken night back in May.

Of course, there was always one way to alleviate the heat that had built up between her thighs. She shook her head and wedged her hands between her stomach and the bed, refusing to stoop to that. It wasn't like she had never done it before but, never, ever thinking about someone who was her professor. It was wrong. How would she ever look him in the eye again, or sit in front of him in class, listen to his lectures? No. She wouldn't do it.

Unless…

If there truly was something between them and it wasn't just all in her head, did that mean he was feeling it too? What if this flirting they were doing was building up in him as well, and he was laying in bed, fighting with himself. She was his student. It was wrong. Would he give in and let his hands dip beneath the waist of his boxers? Would he be hard for her, gasp as he gripped himself, or whisper her name in the dark of his bedroom?

Sakura bit her lip as she pushed her hand down her stomach, her fingers trembling as she slipped them into her panties. She hesitated and let her eyes closed as she imagined Professor Hatake laying beside her, watching her as she slid a finger along the slick folds between her thighs. Gasping at how wet she already was, she drew a slow circle around her clit as her hips quivered into the mattress.

She imagined his touch on her body, pinching at her nipples and fingers dipping inside her as he pressed kisses across her shoulders. She thought of the way he said her name, wondering how it would taste on his lips. Her thighs shook as she moved against her hand, thrusting over her fingers that she wished were his. She gripped the sheets tightly in her fist and breathed a moan into her pillow. That smirk he always seemed to save for her, the way he had stared at her from the shadows on his friend's porch, him saying her name in just a way that drove her wild all flashed through her mind as her hips bucked over her fingers. She was coming hard, his face in her mind and his name on her lips as her entire body quivered.

Breathless, she rode wave after wave of her orgasm, surprised by how powerful it had felt. Her toes uncurled slowly as she blinked into the pillow, exhausted despite feeling electrically charged. Little jolts buzzed across her skin and she bit her lip, wondering if she had been that needy, or if it had to do with who she was imagining behind her closed eyes.

Whatever it was, it didn't change the fact that she now had half an hour before her alarm would go off and she would see him again. She would be face to face with the man she had thought of while touching herself.

Well, it was official. Sakura's day royally sucked. She had felt embarrassed all day by what she had did that morning and what she had been thinking about while doing it. Any free moment she had to herself, a flash of the memory sprung to her mind and her face would turn as bright red as a strawberry. Sure, she had done that before but never while fantasizing so vividly about a man who she shouldn't even be thinking about!

The entire time she stood beside the donation bus, greeting people and smiling as sweetly and brightly as she could, she couldn't help but scan the crowd for a familiar face. All of her friends had come by to participate, some faculty, and a ton of students who were promised extra points if they showed up. It had seemed that the majority of the people they had reached out to had remembered to show up...except one.

He didn't show up to donate, nor to even say 'hi' and give an excuse. He had just forgotten about her which made her morning all the more embarrassing. She had thought of him intimately and he didn't even think of her at all. It was frustrating and infuriating and she was pissed at herself. Did she not learn from her stupidity over Sasuke? What did it take for her to realize these unobtainable guys didn't and wouldn't ever be what she wanted them to be?

If that wasn't bad enough, an hour before the blood drive was over, she got a call from Tenten who was so sick from giving blood, she had passed out and was told not to work her evening shift. Since it was basically Sakura's fault for pushing her to donate, she had volunteered to take her fill in for her. Which was where she was at the moment, angrily wiping down tables at The Village Cafe while absentmindedly greeting customers and taking orders.

For whatever reason, the last few hours they had been utterly slammed and she was just now, thirty minutes to close, able to get around to the tables to clean them and pick up the magazines that had been discarded on the floor. The bell over the door chimed as the last large group left, and Sakura breathed a sigh. There was an older man in the back who looked as bitter as she felt and had spent the last fifteen minutes glaring icily at the group of college kids and a woman who had her nose pressed in a book sitting in the corner. They were regulars and Sakura was thankful she didn't have to remind them for the next thirty minutes that they were closing soon. She held a tray between her hip and her wrist as she piled mugs, napkins, and straws to clean and throw away.

She pushed the kitchen door open with her backside and dumped the dirty mugs in the sink, quickly rinsing them off and setting them aside to dry before wiping her hands on her apron. Her phone vibrated against her hip and she frowned as she dug it out of her front pocket. The name on the front made her gasp and she swiped the message open in a hurry. Sasuke was texting her? He was actually texting her first! This hadn't happened since July. Her heart was pounding as she stared at the message.

 _Hey_

Her thumbs tapped at the keys in lightning speed. _Hi :)_

God, was the smiley face too much? She never knew when to send things like that and always felt that they came off more creepy than cute. Making her way back to the front, she took a seat on a stool next to the muffin case and watched the bubble of '...' blink. He was typing and judging by the time it was taking him to write it out, it must have been long. She was terrified of what it might say, but thrilled that he was thinking of her enough to text. Maybe she had been wrong about before…

 _Do you have Naruto's new number? I thought I had it but I must have lost it_

She felt her shoulders fall as all the air was kicked out of her lungs. He wasn't thinking of her at all! He was thinking about Naruto! Angrily, she slammed her phone down on the counter and wondered if there was a stack of towels in the back she could scream into, or an old mug she could "drop" by slamming it into the wall. She snatched her phone back, typed the number and hit send, telling herself that no matter what, she would not text him anything else. If he wanted to talk to her, he would keep the conversation going.

Ten minutes had passed with no response and she felt her heart breaking a bit. It was clear to her now that she had come on too strongly in the beginning. She had looked desperate and no guy wanted a desperate girl. Apparently, he just wanted someone to fuck one night and he had thought she would be an easy lay. And that's exactly what she had been.

She snatched the rag from the counter and turned to the coffee maker and soda dispenser, hoping the burning in her eyes was from the fumes of the cleaner and not because she was crying. Letting herself be used was bad enough but crying over the guy who did it was just pathetic. The bell above the door chimed and she bit her lip to keep it from quivering. "Just a minute." She managed to say before stalling for time as she scrubbed at the buttons across the front panel and wiped her eyes with the back of her free hand.

She turned and tossed the rag into the bucket under the sink before glancing up at the customer. Her breath froze in her throat and she couldn't help but gape up at the other man who had been making her miserable that day. Great. What was he doing here? Coming to rub salt in her wound? Tell her to stop being a moron and to leave him alone? The memory of her morning came flaring up into her mind and she swallowed hard, her anger faltering a bit at the sight of him.

"I know you're closing soon, I apologize. My wifi's out at home and I need to send an email. It should only take ten minutes." He stepped aside as the older man nodded to Sakura and slipped out the door and into the cool autumn night. She didn't know what to say. She could see his briefcase was hanging from one shoulder and he did look as if he left the house in a hurry. His long sleeved T-shirt was a bit wrinkled and looked to have a few bleach splatters across the chest, something he would wear lounging around his house. She hated how cute it looked..

Sakura opened her mouth to say that it was fine and to tell him the wifi password but quickly clamped it shut as she folded her arms over her chest. Maybe it was the fact that she was already pissed, but she was suddenly feeling bold. "Why didn't you come to the blood drive?" It was the first thing she had thought of to say and almost regretted the tone of her voice. But, she was curious and needed to know if she should hate herself more than she already did. She wanted to get it out of the way, to know that she was silly for thinking he'd show up just for her.

Professor Hatake rubbed the back of his neck and ducked his head, not meeting her eyes. He stepped closer to the counter and put his palms down on the marble. "I'm sorry. I fully intended to be there but my friend went into labor...I rushed to the hospital and by the time I came back, you were leaving."

Shit. Now, she felt like a moron and a total bitch. Sakura dropped her hands to her sides and blinked, unable to say anything. Why was it so hard for her to not put her foot in her mouth around him? It was as if her brain took one look at him and turned to mush. But, she had caught the fact that he said he had come back as she was leaving and her stomach did a somersault. She had been so angry by the time it was over that she hadn't been looking for him anymore and he had seen her. "Oh." Was all she could say.

"Did you at least break last year's record?"

"No," She pushed her hair from her face and looked him in the eyes, her heart beat racing a bit faster. "We were one away."

His face fell as guilt blinked suddenly in his eyes. His human side was returning and so were the butterflies in her stomach. She didn't understand how he could be so different the moment he stepped away from his classroom. They were two different people but she was getting used to it. He didn't seem like he hated her now like he had when she had asked for a review. He was actually...friendly. "You're kidding." He said.

"Yeah, I am. We had almost fifty more donors than last year." It felt odd joking with him, especially since her mood had been so miserable ten minutes ago. Odd, but good. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would like joking around and she waited, holding her breath for him to respond. She watched the look in his eyes quickly shift from surprise to that unreadable, dark smirk that sent chills across her spine.

"That's not funny."

Sakura giggled, pressing her hand over her mouth as she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." The woman in the corner of the cafe peered at them from over her book before gathering her things and making her way to the door. She didn't look back as the bell chimed over her head and the silence that followed made Sakura suddenly aware that she was alone with Professor Hatake. And he needed to send an email.

She cleared her throat and gave him the wifi password, forcing herself not to look at him as he settled into a seat by the window. The sound of his typing was soothing as she worked to finish her closing duties. She refilled the jars of tea and coffee grinds, counted the register down for the night, and swept the rugs in front of the counter, only allowing herself to glance his way when everything was completed. The table in the far corner, just over his right shoulder, where the older woman had been sitting held a mug and plate. Sighing, Sakura made her way through the tables, keeping her distance from him as she swiped the crumbs into the plate and pushed the chair in.

As she stood behind him, she took a brief moment to watch him type. His fingers moved a bit slow over the keys, as if he wasn't exactly used to typing. Did that mean he was old fashioned? It was just another adorable thing that made him seem less scary and intimidating. She wished he had brought his reading glasses with him and smiled at the thought of him wearing them as she made her way back to the front. She quickly washed the mug and plate before stacking them to dry and turned the kitchen light off.

Ten minutes until she could lock the door and close down for the night. Pushing her way through the door, she caught sight of him closing his laptop and slipping it back into the satchel he always had at his side. She didn't want to admit that she didn't want him to leave. He had made her night feel a bit better, and knowing he had wanted to donate today made her stomach flip flop inside her. As he pushed his chair in, she wracked her brain for anything else to talk to him about.

"What was the baby?" She rushed, a bit louder than she had intended and she resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. He shouldered his bag and raised an eyebrow. "Your friend. You said she went into labor. Did she have a boy or a girl?" She managed to calm herself down and speak normally this time.

"A girl." He smiled and glanced behind her at the darkened kitchen. "Do you always have to lock up by yourself?"

Sakura shrugged. "Sometimes. On the weekends, we usually have a bigger deposit so there are two closers but on the weeknights, it's just me."

"That doesn't seem very safe." Her heart jumped into her throat and she tried to make sense of all the swirling thoughts in her head. Was he trying to stall to keep talking to her? Should she ask him to stay? Ask him to stay! Her head was screaming at her, begging her to leap over the counter and grab him but she stood where she was, twisting a loose string from her shirt around her finger. "It does get a bit...creepy. The main light switch is in the kitchen so I turn it off and have to run to the front."

An awkward silence fell between them, Sakura wracking her brain for anything to say to get him not to leave just yet. She glanced at the muffin case and cursed herself for throwing out the old ones. If she had known he might stop by, she would have saved one to offer him. All she could think of was how they were sitting in the trash at the moment and she was left empty handed, about to watch him walk away. It would be three days before she could see him again and by then, he'd be back to his closed off self, wearing his stoic, hardened mask. "Well, be safe. I'll see you Monday." He turned and put a hand on the handle of the door.

"Would you care to stay with me? Just for the next few minutes." The words were out of her mouth before she could swallow them back and she mentally kicked herself. He looked back at her from over his shoulder, one slender eyebrow raising on his forehead. God, she hoped he didn't think she was an idiot.

Laugh! She told herself. Play it off like you're joking!

Before she could force herself to laugh it off, he nodded and put his briefcase down on the long table that stretched beneath the front window. "I can do that. Since I do owe you for not donating blood."

"Really?" She couldn't quite believe this was happening. An hour ago, she was pissed at herself for even thinking about him and now she was asking him to stay while she closed up. Something in her head was telling her this was a bad idea but, she didn't know if that was because it was inappropriate or because she might do something. No, she could control herself. Sure, she had had an orgasm while imagining him touching her but that didn't mean she was going to rip her clothes off and jump into his arms.

The sound of the stool scraping across the floor jerked her from her thoughts and she shook her head as he sat down. She turned to the register and opened the bag for the deposit. There was no way she was taking it all the way to the bank tonight. She scribbled a quick note for the opener, their shift supervisor, to take it before they opened. As she stuck the note to the front of the computer, she glanced at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, it was ten o'clock.

She crossed from behind the counter and smiled as she passed her professor. He flipped through a magazine as he waited and she tried to keep her fingers from shaking as she twisted the lock and flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed'. "I just have to count the deposit and turn everything off. It should be about ten minutes." Sakura hurried back to the counter and paused, her hands gripping the sides of the register, mostly to keep herself from falling to the floor. Her knees were much too weak to hold her up on their own. "Thank you for waiting. It really does get creepy here all alone. Especially since everyone can see in." She nodded to the wall of windows that ran along the front of the cafe.

Professor Hatake closed the magazine and set it back on the stack in the middle of the table, leaning an elbow on the back of the stool. "It's fine. But, I figured you'd have your boyfriend wait with you." The tone of his words made heat spread all over her and she blushed, shaking her head as she attempted to count the money. She was having a hard time concentrating on anything else aside from what he said. Inside, her mind was screaming.

"Don't have one of those." She said, shoving the bills down into the deposit bag before moving onto the coins.

"Ah, sorry. Judging by the look on your face when I walked in, I assumed you did and that he was making you miserable." Her fingers froze on the sides of the bag. Was she that transparent? She had been miserable but definitely not over a boyfriend. It was her own damn self making her feel like crap. Clearing her throat, she dropped the coins into the bag and scribbled the deposit amount on the designated slip.

"That wasn't my boyfriend making me miserable. Just your typical, run of the mill asshole." She muttered, a bit surprised that she had completely forgotten about Sasuke and his stupid messages. It was hard to stay angry when she had someone like her Bio-Chem Professor to look at. He made Sasuke look like a prepubescent boy in comparison. Maybe that was the problem. Sasuke was a boy and Professor Hatake was very clearly a man. Sakura's face burned as she zipped up the deposit bag and knelt to open the safe under the register. She threw it inside and slammed the metal door shut before popping back up. His eyes met hers as if he had never took them off of her and she resisted the urge to sigh. It was strange how with just one look he could make her feel as if she'd melt into a puddle on the floor or catch fire under his gaze. Could he see the affect he had on her?

"I just have to...uhm." She couldn't think straight, couldn't speak, couldn't look away from him. She felt caught, cornered like a bunny and she didn't mind. It was exactly where she wanted to be. Blinking, she pointed a thumb over her shoulder to the kitchen door. "I have to turn off the lights." It was hard to keep herself from running into the back, but she managed to remain calm as she pushed through the door and turned to the main light switches. Once she was out of his sight, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she sent a silent prayer to the heavens above to grant her the strength to keep her hands to herself. If he looked at her one more time with that same strange intensity he seemed to save just for her, she didn't know if she could resist the temptation she was feeling for him. It was almost unbearable and the heat she had thought she had extinguished that morning was quickly seeping back in.

Sakura hooked her fingers over the light switches, let out a breath and flipped the lights off one by one. The kitchen was bathed in darkness and she had to feel her way back to the door, pausing for just a brief second to glance through the window to where Professor Hatake was standing by the counter. Seeing him covered in the shadows made her almost sway on her feet. She dusted her hands on her jeans and grabbed her purse and jacket from under the counter, deciding that it was far too warm around him to add extra layers. She draped her jacket over her arm and dug for the keys as she made her way to him. "Thank you for waiting."

Professor Hatake glanced around the darkened cafe, the side of his mouth lifting above the freckle that Sakura suddenly wanted to kiss. "It does get creepy in here."

"Are you afraid of the dark, Professor?" Sakura hadn't intended her voice to be so soft and breathy, but her words were driven by something else inside her now. Something that wanted to push these forbidden boundaries they had between them. She was certain that being in a dark room with her professor was already against the rules. Why not break a few more?

Professor Hatake looked down at her as they stepped toward the door and smirked, closer to her than he ever had been before. It would be so easy for her to close the distance between them and press herself against his chest. "No, I like it."

Fuck. She had to get out of there before she did something really stupid. There was breaking the rules and then there was just being wreckless. Sakura twisted the lock on the front door and pushed her way out into the night, inhaling lungfuls of the cool night air. Professor Hatake followed her out and waited on the sidewalk as she struggled to find the key to lock the door. She cursed beneath her breath and jammed it into the lock with a quick twist. Turning to face him, Sakura caught sight of the black apron still hanging from her neck and she sighed. "Hang on." She muttered and turned back back to the front door to unlock it. Slipping back inside, she pulled at the strings behind her back, ducked out of the apron and tossed it onto the back counter where it slipped off the edge and fell to the floor. She ignored it and rushed back out the front door, locking it behind her for the second time before whirling around to face him. The lights from the lamp posts set a romantic atmosphere and seeing him stand there, his gaze so focused on her, made Sakura nearly swoon on her feet.

"Do you live close by?" She asked, pulling her purse strap up her shoulder. Professor Hatake's eyebrows lifted on his forehead and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he looked up the street.

"Um, sort of." He suddenly seemed a bit flustered and Sakura felt her stomach drop to the sidewalk beneath her. Oh god...He thought she was asking to go back to his house! She shook her head, eyes wide as her face paled. "No, I don't want to go home with you! That's not what I meant. I was just making small talk. I swear, I'm not trying to get you to invite me back home with you." She knew she was making it worse but her mind was racing, shoving things toward her mouth to speak that she knew she didn't need to be saying. By the time she clamped her lips shut, biting down on them to shut herself up, it was too late. For the hundredth time in his presence, she had turned into a bumbling moron.

"It's fine, Sakura. I didn't think you were trying to go home with me." Professor Hatake chuckled at her rambling and held his hands up to calm her. The tops of his cheeks, Sakura was relieved to see, were just as pink as she could imagine hers was. How could he go from being arousingly predatory to someone so adorable in the blink of an eye? It did nothing to cool the flames she had burning inside her at that moment and if anything, only fanned them further. "I actually live about fifteen minutes from here, heading out of town. I like a bit more peace and quiet than the city can offer." He pushed his hands into his pockets and turned to stare up the street, watching the headlights of cars pass by them.

"I live two blocks away. The noise isn't so bad...Not quite as loud as where Iruka lives, thankfully." She smiled up at him. Usually, she hated small talk but she was desperate to know anything about his personal life. He knew she didn't have a boyfriend but would it be rude for her to ask if he was seeing someone? Would he think she was being a bit too presumptuous? "You know," She started, taking a small step toward him. "I actually thought you were dating your friend who had her baby today. I saw you with her and just assumed."

"Kurenai? No." He laughed and ducked his head before lifting his eyes to meet hers. "I'm not seeing anyone."

"So, it would be alright if you walked me home?" It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself and her heartbeat filled her ears as she waited for his reaction. He stared at her, the laughter that had remained in the corner of his eyes fading rather quickly. Sakura was worried he would return back to the way he was in class, making her feel an inch tall and afraid of him. She wasn't so scared of him now...just afraid that he would tell her no. He took a deep breath and turned to glance up the street, as if he were looking for someone to step out of the darkness and tell them both that this was against some rule, and that they should cut it out before it was too late. No one stopped them and Professor Hatake sighed and nodded, turning back to face her.

"I can do that."

A breeze blew over them and Sakura shivered, but she wasn't sure it was from the cool night air, or the fact that he would know where she lived. Neither moved a muscle, hesitating as if this was a turning point, waiting on the other to move first. One step in either direction and they wouldn't be the same...Sakura turned to the left and glanced up at him, inviting him to follow her with a small smile. She felt his eyes on her and another shiver crawled down her spine.

They walked in silence, listening to the cars passing by and the wind blowing through the decorative trees planted every twenty feet on the sidewalk. A thousand things filled her head to say, but she stayed quiet. She knew she should at least thank him for taking time out of his night to keep her company but her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. Clearing her throat, she stepped around a trash can, her shoulder brushing his as she moved closer to him. "Thank you, for staying with me and walking me home, Professor."

"You're welcome." He glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye, lifting his lips in a small smirk. "It's Kakashi, by the way."

Sakura's steps faltered and she nearly caught a low hanging branch across her forehead as she tried to process this new development. They were on a first name basis and she felt as if he had just kissed her. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. "Not in class, though." He added as she directed them around the corner. Her apartment was only six buildings down and she seriously did not want this night to end yet. The thought of asking him into her home thrilled and terrified her. Was she capable of crossing that boundary already?

Trying hard to hide her grin, she pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay." There was so much more she wanted to say. Did this mean they would keep seeing each other outside of class? Did he want to? She wanted to say his name, wanted to know how it sounded, how it felt on her lips. A little voice in her head reminded her that she had already said his name that morning and a blush lit her cheeks.

The iron gate leading up to her apartment could be seen from where they were now and Sakura tried wracking her brain for any excuse to invite him up. She wished it would come a sudden downpour and he would be forced to stay to keep dry. The skies were clear however with not a cloud in sight and she couldn't help but sigh. Her steps slowed and she looked up at the two windows above the flower shop where her kitchen and bathroom sat. She was home and she had absolutely no reason to ask him to come up. Even if she did, he would never agree. She may have wanted to cross those boundaries but he knew better.

Kakashi looked at the shop windows before glancing up at the apartment above with a small smile. "This is me." Sakura said, trying to mask the disappointment in her voice. She put a hand on the gate and hesitated, turning back to face him. "Thank you, again. I hope I didn't take you too far from home."

He shrugged and glanced down at her. "It's fine. I could use the exercise."

"Yeah, right. You look great." Blood rushed to her face and she resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. Whatever. She didn't even try to cover it up. It was true, anyway. She pulled the gate handle and pushed it open, stepping inside but keeping her hand gripping the metal bar. "I'd invite you up, but that would probably be frowned upon." Her own boldness astounded her sometimes and she couldn't quite believe she had said it. A small part of her was thrilled that she was so willing to break the rules but the rest of her wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there for the next year. At least the ball was in his court now. If he wanted to come up, he knew he could.

Kakashi reached toward her and closed his hand around hers on the metal bar, pulling the gate closed with a loud clang, making her blink in surprise. The feel of his palm against her fingers made the air in her lungs disappear and she looked down at their hands. " _Extremely_ frowned upon." The tone in his voice didn't quite match his words and she blinked up at him. He sounded almost as if he wanted to tell her not to tempt him, that if the gate wasn't between them and their situation was different...he would take her up on her invitation. Sakura opened her mouth and closed it, not exactly sure what to say. She wanted to apologize and tell him to ignore her stupidity but couldn't even find her breath as he took a step toward her. "Goodnight, Sakura."

He studied her for a moment, his eyes flickering across her eyes and down to her lips before he took a step back, his fingers slowly slipping from hers and turned back in the direction they had come. Sakura watched him, her feet frozen to the ground as she held her hand to her chest. "Goodnight…" She didn't know if he had heard her or not. "Kakashi."


	9. Boundaries

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

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"I should be studying." Sakura said over the rim of her wine glass as she eyed the stack of notecards and study material that lay spread out on her coffee table. She had studied for the entire day and previous night and Ino had suggested she take a break to unwind with the two bottles of wine she brought with her. Her best friend scoffed and used her foot to push the table further away from them.

"I'm sure you know it backwards and forwards already. You'll do fine." Which was true. She did know it but it wasn't enough for her to make an A on her Bio-Chem midterm anymore. She had already made A's on the last two tests. She wanted to ace her midterm, she wanted to impress the pants off of Kakashi Hatake. Heat spread slowly over her face and she shook her head as she drank the last sip from her glass. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol making her so warm or the thought of her professor not wearing any pants.

"Yeah, but I don't want to do fine ." Sakura muttered, looking down at her hands. From beside her, she heard Ino make a 'Tch' sound with her tongue. She reached over and took the wine glass from Sakura's hands and headed toward the kitchen for a refill.

"I know that tone. What has lover boy done now?" Ino asked over her shoulder, raising a rather unsurprised eyebrow up her forehead.

Sakura rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to defend the boy she was referring to but stopped. Why should she? He actually had pissed her off the other night and though a certain professor had made her feel a lot better, she was still angry. The next morning after she had a proper freak out about the things that had happened between her and Kakashi, she forced herself to read over the texts from Sasuke one more time. He had never responded anything else, not even a 'thanks'. She wondered if he was playing hard to get but what was the point? He had already got her. Shaking her head, she stood from the couch, glaring at the screen of her cell phone as she followed Ino into the kitchen.

"Nothing, which is exactly the problem. He texted me the other night but all he wanted was Naruto's new phone number. After that," Sakura sliced her hand in the air and whistled sharply. "Nothing." She took her newly filled wine glass and gulped down a mouthful, needing the alcohol to hurry up and make her not care anymore about Sasuke freaking Uchiha. She was so tired of waiting for his text, analyzing every message she sent him and reading too much into the ones he sent her. It was pointless.

And, if she was going to be a hundred percent honest with herself, she wasn't that tore up about it. It sucked to feel used by the guy she had liked for so long but, beating herself up over it wasn't going to change things. If she wanted him, she would have to be patient and let it happen his way...Even though she didn't even know if she wanted him anymore.

Ino crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "I knew he was an asshole from the first moment I saw him."

"Yeah, and you also knew how hot he was. I seem to remember you spending the better part of freshman year trying to get him to just notice you." That had been a dark time in their friendship that they seldom discussed. It was never good when two best friends liked the same boy. But, as Ino grew tired of pursuing and not being the one pursued, Sakura had played the waiting game. They had both gotten over their brief feud, vowing never to let a boy come between them again. So far, they had done a pretty damn good job...mostly because Sasuke was the only boy Sakura had wanted for the past couple of years.

Until now.

Her cheeks turned red at the thought of her professor and she took another gulp of her wine as a small voice in the back of her head reminded her that Professor Hatake was definitely not a boy. Ino flipped her hair over her shoulder and waved Sakura off. "Whatever. Just let me know when you're ready to move on and start crushing on someone else for the next two years."

"Well…" Sakura started, instantly knowing better than to let Ino know about her strange crush on her professor. The girl might actually try to do something about it like throw another party and get her laid for the second time. Actually, that didn't sound half bad. From across her tiny kitchen, Ino tilted her head to the side, blue eyes sparkling at the mention of someone else that could have caught Sakura's attention.

"Tell me everything." She said excitedly, grabbing the neck of the wine bottle to top them both off. Sakura couldn't help laugh as she blushed at the thought of actually putting her thoughts into words. She didn't even know where to begin.

"I mean, it's really nothing. I just can't seem to be able to stop thinking about...my Bio-Chem professor."

"The mean one that you were bitching about before the semester even started?"

Sakura nodded, ducking her head to hide the embarrassment clearly written across her face. She sounded ridiculous, crushing on one of her teachers. It was absurd and nothing could or would ever become of it. He was just a nice distraction from all of her current issues with her lack of a love life. "Yeah, him. He um…" She glanced up at Ino, wondering if it was a good idea to even tell her about the other night. "He walked me home from work the other night."

"What?! This is beyond just a little crush! You're actually engaging with him outside of class and such?" Wine sloshed out of Ino's glass as she nearly threw her hands up in animated gestures. She should have known the girl would react this way and blow things out of proportion in her mind. Shaking her head, Sakura took a deep breath.

"He was in the coffee shop and I asked him to wait while I closed up. You know how creepy it gets in there." Ino nodded and took a gulp of wine, listening very closely. "Well, he did and after I locked up, I asked him to walk me home." She clamped her lips shut before she could tell her that he had touched her hand.

"Did he kiss you?"

"God, no! He's still my professor, you know!" Sakura stared at her best friend in disbelief, yet couldn't help but wondering if she should have tried to make a move. She had suggested that he could come in unless he thought it would be a bad idea and apparently, it had been. He had left her by the gate, staring after him and unsure if he was disgusted by the idea or tempted. But, he had put his hand on hers and it hadn't been a mistake. He had wanted to touch her. And she had wanted even more than that. She bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling. "Is it bad that I wanted him to, though?"

"Is he married?"

"No."

"Is he ugly?

"Definitely not."

"Then, I don't see why it would be bad." Ino shrugged simply, as if the only thing standing between them were his looks and a ring on his finger. There was so much more stopping her from making a move. He could be fired for one, she could be kicked out of school, forced to work in a coffee shop for the rest of her life and those just weren't options she was able to live with. Knowing she got someone fired would make her feel awful...even if she wanted him more than she ever thought she would.

"I can't kiss my professor."

Ino tapped her fingernail along the glass and pursed her lips in thought before shrugging her shoulders. "You could always wait until you're not in his class anymore. Hand in your final exam and then fuck him on his desk." She tapped her glass against Sakura's in a toast before grinning wickedly at the blush that flared hot across her friend's face. It was definitely not the alcohol that was warming her up this time.

Sakura let her head fall back against her cabinets and bit her bottom lip as she thought about Ino's idea. "I can't fuck my professor either, Ino. It's unethical and wrong and extremely frowned upon."

"Yeah, but I bet that would just make it hotter. 'Oh, Professor! This is so forbidden! You mustn't take me right here on my desk!'" Ino fluttered her eyelashes and fanned her neck with her free hand. Before Sakura could even form a response in her overworking imaginative mind, the girl's blue eyes lit up and she reached over and took her by the hand. "Oh my god, you should wear a skirt and no panties and give him a little peep show while he's lecturing!"

"No!"

"Or, you could write 'fuck me' across your eyelids and when he looks at you, close your eyes so he can see it and know you're into him."

Sakura stared at her friend, taken aback by all of her suggestions. She scoffed and shook her head, unable to shake the ideas from her head even though there was no way she could ever do something like that. Her method of attracting men was far less bold and involved at least a year of staying back and admiring him from afar. Even though that had worked out so well for her last time...Rolling her eyes, Sakura couldn't quite find the words to say to her and hoped the ideas she put into her head wouldn't distract her on Monday during her midterm.

Sakura sat in her designated seat in the chem lab, hands fidgeting uncontrollably as she waited for class to begin. She had managed to survive the midterm of the class and was relieved that she had known almost every question on the test. There was only one she wasn't completely sure about and she hoped it wouldn't be what stood in her way of making 100 percent on it. Missing only one would still be pretty impressive in this class but she really wanted to knock his socks off.

Two days had passed since she had handed in her test, walking to his desk confidently with her chin held high and a small smile refusing to leave her face. She had been the first one finished as always and could feel the eyes of her classmates on her back as she made her way to the front. Kakashi had taken her test, his eyebrow lifting slightly at how quickly she finished. Her fingers had been shaking as she handed him her paper and hoped he couldn't feel it in his hands as he took it from her.

Sakura closed her eyes as she replayed it all over again in her head, wishing she had done this or that but knew it would have been a bad idea to do anything with the rest of the students behind her. But, as he took the papers from her, his hand just inches below hers, their eyes had met and Sakura had felt her knees weaken under his gaze. She almost had to put a hand out and grab his desk to keep herself from slipping to the floor. And if just a glance at her made her that weak, she thought her panties were going to melt completely off of her body as he winked at her.

It was such a small gesture, practically nothing, but it was blazed into her memory now and she had laid in bed for the past two nights watching it happen over and over again behind her eyes. Between the wink and him touching her hand the night he had walked her home, she was a mess of hormones. Her Tuesday class that took her nowhere near the Sciences building had been canceled and she had aimlessly walked around campus on her way back to her apartment, somehow ending up at the front doors of the building she knew he would be in. She had opened the door and took a step inside before she realized what she was doing.

Seeking him out in her spare time was dangerous. The less time she spent with him, the better. Being in his presence was already proving to be too hard to pass this all off as a casual crush. A casual crush didn't make her touch herself in her bed and shower, it didn't make her dream of his touch, and find ways to see him when she had no reason to. She had crossed the boundaries of a platonic student teacher relationship the night he had walked her home and was now somewhere in an odd gray area, waiting for him to pull her closer or push her away.

The door to the lab closed loudly, the window pane rattling so loud Sakura felt herself nearly jump out of her seat. Every time he walked into the classroom, the hush that followed was unsettling. He commanded such a strange fear and it did little to cool the desire she felt for him. She watched him set his things down on the table before glancing around at the deathly quiet students, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. He was making a point not to look at her, she could tell. His eyes met nearly every other student but hers and she licked her suddenly dry lips.

"I'm sure you're all wanting to know your midterm grades." He was answered by silence but Sakura couldn't help leaning toward him a bit, her stomach twisting nervously. She was both excited and dreading the moment she would see her grade. With a small shrug, he pulled his copy of the lab book toward him. "Well, I forgot to grade them so you'll have to wait until next Monday."

There was a sigh of relief through most of her classmates but Sakura let her shoulders fall in disappointment. She pursed her lips and looked down at her work space, tapping the end of her pencil against the tabletop. At least she had one thing to dislike about him. His laziness and flippant attitude toward his class was a minor annoyance, especially since he expected everyone else to take it so seriously.

"But, judging by the pained look on everyone's faces when they handed them in, I've decided to cut you a little slack." Sakura looked up at his words, her eyes meeting his and she felt her heart leap into her throat. "So, today, I'm giving you a chance to win back some of the points you may have missed on the midterm."

No one seemed very excited about the idea of doing more work for points but Sakura couldn't help wonder if her little talk with him about the review had made an impression. She felt a few of her classmates glance her way and color tinted her cheeks as she tried not to show that she noticed. Shifting on her stool, she crossed her legs and tried to look just as bored as some of the others around her though it was hard. All she wanted to do was stare at him as he instructed them on their lab for the day. She glanced up through a curtain of pink hair and watched him turn to the board behind him.

He pushed the sleeves of his navy sweater to his elbows before popping the cap of a marker and quickly wrote an unbalanced equation. Sakura had already worked it out in her head before he had even turned around and she waited for his instruction. Kakashi glanced to her quickly, almost too fast for her to notice, and nodded toward the board. "We're going to be balancing some equations today. Whoever has the answers first will get a point."

There was a collective groan that went around the room and a boy on the opposite end of the lab threw his hands up in defeat. "Just give them all to Sakura, then!" He said and a few others agreed. Embarrassment crawled along her skin like tiny bugs and she ducked her head as her face burned hot.

"You can work just as hard as Ms. Haruno and make the same grades." Kakashi said, defending her with a bit of humor behind his words. She didn't find it funny that her classmates felt this way. Of course she was proud of her hard work but they would always see her as a teacher's pet or a suck up who only got good marks because she knew how to appeal to the professors. Which wasn't true at all. She still didn't know how she stood with Professor Hatake. Half the time he was treating her just like one of his other students, like she meant next to nothing and the other half, he was walking her home from work and winking and touching her hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'd be making great grades too if I flirted with the professors." A female voice mumbled behind Sakura's back loud enough that she clearly heard, making her suck in a tiny breath. She tried to picture the girls who sat behind her and match the voice to a face but couldn't recall ever hearing them talk. Did they truly think she flirted for her grades? Was she somehow flirting and not realizing it? Panic was beginning to prickle beneath her skin and she fought the urge to grab her things and run out. The only thing stopping her was the fact that running away would just fuel their accusations more.

"Does anyone have the answer?" Kakashi asked, tapping the end of the marker beneath the equation. A hand raised from the back and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as Kakashi invited a guy to come to the board and write the answer. She kept quiet as he answered it correctly and Kakashi made a mark by his name on a sheet of paper. He turned back to the board and wrote another one, a bit more difficult than the last. Still, Sakura stayed silent through the next few questions and she noticed that every time, Professor Hatake would look pointedly at her and purse his lips as she failed to answer.

She felt torn between her desire to impress him and her fear that people would think of her as someone who would flirt or even sleep with a professor for a good grade. The fear was suffocating her and she felt a bead of sweat roll down her spine. She wasn't sure if she was afraid of what everyone thought of her or the fact that she could easily become one of the types of people she was trying hard to prove she wasn't. Another equation went up on the board, a particularly difficult one that no one seemed to be able to answer. As everyone put their head down and worked it out on a sheet of paper, Sakura sighed and lifted her hand off the table. Kakashi held out the marker for her to take with a look on his face that she couldn't quite read. Her fingers shook as she took the marker and stepped past him, unable to ignore how close he stayed to her, leaning a shoulder against the board as she looked up at the equation.

The squeak of the marker across the whiteboard was loud in her ears and she bit the inside of her lip to keep her concentration on her work and not how amazing Kakashi smelled. She couldn't help wonder what cologne he wore or if he naturally smelled this delicious. It was driving her crazy and she had to close her eyes for a brief moment to gather her thoughts. She put the correct number of atoms for sulfur on both sides of the equation and took a step back, glancing back across the whole thing to make sure it was correct. "Very good." Kakashi said as he stared down at her. He took the marker from her and made a mark by her name as she walked back to her seat.

He put up two more on the board but Sakura made no more attempts for points on her exam. Just being so close to him once was enough. Any more time spent at his side and she wouldn't be able to stop herself from doing something stupid even if she was surrounded by 20 other students. But, he put the cap back on the marker and went over the amount of points each person would be able to add to their midterm grade before dismissing them for the day. Sakura gathered her things and slipped them into her backpack. "Ms. Haruno." A finger tapped the corner of her desk and she blinked up at Professor Hatake in surprise, her heartbeat racing. "Do you have a minute?" He didn't wait for an answer before turning back to the table at the front of the class.

Sakura glanced around her but the girl who she suspected had whispered behind her back was thankfully already out the door. Shouldering her backpack, she waited for the last of her classmates to flee out the door, leaving her alone with the one man she didn't trust herself to be alone with. Kakashi glanced up at her as he gathered his things and slipped them into his briefcase and she felt a spark ignite inside her chest at the look in his eyes. He looked toward the door to make sure no one was around and her heartbeat tripled. "You shouldn't feel the need to dumb yourself down, Sakura. I know you knew all those answers today." She loved the way he said her name and hearing him say it in class was almost as good as him winking at her.

"I know." She smiled and gave a small shrug. "It wouldn't be very fair to everyone else if I got all of the points."

"True, but you shouldn't let them get to you. They can put just as much effort into their classwork as you do."

For a brief moment, she wondered if she should tell him what the girl behind her had said. Would he laugh or be concerned that other people are assuming things are going on between them? She decided not to say anything and sighed. "I just thought I'd let them have the points this time. I'd rather make better than everyone else without them." The corner of his lips lifted as he stared at her. Sakura was grateful for the table between them, keeping her away from him so she wouldn't be so tempted to jump into his arms and wrap her legs around him. She had to leave, had to get away from that smirk before she crossed even more boundaries that were forbidden. "I'll see you later."

AN- This chapter was a bit short but if I had tacked it onto the next one then it would have been entirely too long.

But, I can tell you that Sakura and Kakashi get a bit of alone time in the next one ;)


	10. Unspoken

**AN** \- This is a modern, college, semi coffee shop AU all rolled into one. It's chock full of cliche's and lots of fluff (although note, this fic will be rated _**M**_ for a reason). This is not meant to be taken seriously. It's just something fun that popped in my head one day so hopefully, you'll have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it so far! Enjoy!

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Another typical Thursday had rolled around and Sakura found herself in the library, her textbooks and notes she had taken the past week were spread out before her on the table before her. Midterms were over but that didn't mean she could slack off. She had two assignments due in her sociology class, clinicals coming up in Medical Procedures and she was still stressing out about what she could have possibly made on her Bio-Chem midterm. She tossed her pen into the crease in her sociology textbook and let her head fall back against the chair behind her.

She popped her neck and massaged the muscles that ached from spending the last hour and a half bent over the table. Her usual third floor study tables had been occupied by a large group working on a project and she had resorted to setting up on the first floor behind the computers. Several people were doing papers and research but a few guys were watching videos and laughing a bit too loudly for her to concentrate. She scowled toward them as she gathered her hair up into a ponytail and secured it at the back of her head.

The outside pouch of her backpack vibrated and she raised an eyebrow at where her phone was sitting. She unzipped the pouch and pulled the device from inside, shaking her head at the message bubble that popped up. It was from Ino.

'Dying of boredom in this class!'

Sakura quickly typed a response, rolling her eyes as another peal of laughter sounded from the computers. ' Maybe you should pay attention '

' Yeah right. Are you still in the library?'

'Unfortunately.' Sakura dropped her phone onto her backpack and cracked her knuckles, knowing she should be finishing her work instead of texting. She could always finish it over the weekend but she hated procrastinating. Finishing her work before the weekend would let her be free of worry and have plenty of time to have fun. Knowing she had an assignment or two looming over her head would make her miserable the entire time.

She grabbed her pen and pulled her notebook back toward her, finding where she had left off in the textbook. From across the floor, the front doors of the library opened and a swirl of autumn leaves poured in around the legs of the figure who made their way inside. Sakura glanced from the familiar man back to her notes before her brain could catch up to her pounding heart beat. She gasped and looked back up at Professor Hatake making his way to the front desk where a student was sitting, organizing books on a cart. He stood talking to the guy behind the counter, his back to Sakura, giving her a chance to stare at him without consequence. She tried to look away, tried to turn her attention back to her work below her but couldn't tear her eyes away.

She had never seen him in the library before. As ridiculous as it was, she couldn't help wondering if he knew she'd be there. No. It was just a coincidence. By the way he had talked to her after their lab, she was sure he didn't feel the same as she did. He had been oddly disappointed in her for staying quiet but he didn't hear what the other students were saying. Having them think she was his teacher's pet or flirting for her grade was bad and it made her realize that the little games she was playing with herself around him were far too dangerous to keep up.

But, seeing him again made the knots inside her stomach twist uncontrollably and she clenched her fist so tightly around her pen she feared the plastic would crack. He laughed softly at something the student was saying and adjusted the shoulder strap of his briefcase before stepping away. Sakura swallowed and felt a bit of panic welling up inside her as she realized he might see her. She did a quick glance down at her clothes, cursing the wrinkles set in the fabric of her T-shirt. She wrenched the ponytail holder from her hair and brushed her fingers through her locks, hoping she didn't look too much of a mess...Then again, she really shouldn't care.

Licking her lips, she leaned back over her books and rest her forehead in the palm of her hand, knowing it would look bad if he caught her staring at him. The words on the pages made no sense and she tried to focus on the paragraph she had left off at but it was no use. She could practically feel him walking her way. She lifted her gaze up a bit and caught sight of him making his way around the tables of computers, heading toward the corner she had tried to hide herself in. If he noticed her, he didn't make it known.

Sakura kept her head bent toward the table as he crossed in front of her table and dropped his briefcase down beside the copy machines that were pushed against the wall to her right. So, he definitely didn't come there for her. Sakura couldn't deny the fact that it seemed odd that the circumstances brought them both to the back corner of the library. She would have missed him completely had the group on the third floor not been there. Her pulse raced as she realized how close he was to her.

Her phone vibrated again and she slowly reached for it, glancing down at the text from Ino. ' Whenever this class ends, I'll join you. Maybe thirty more minutes' Sakura didn't respond. She slowly closed her sociology book and swallowed hard, torn between wanting to stay just in case he noticed her and knowing she should distance herself from him altogether. Sliding her book back into her book bag, she hesitated, pursing her lips as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Then again, she was curious to know if he at least graded their midterms.

She shoved the rest of her things into her backpack and zipped it up, watching him discreetly as she did so. He slid a piece of paper into the copier tray and punched a few buttons before the machine came to life. She hoped no one noticed how strange she was sure she looked, staring at the man, watching him complete such a mundane task. But, she couldn't look away. Her eyes traveled down to his back. He was wearing a black jacket with a hood and a pair of dark jeans that Sakura couldn't help notice fit him perfectly. The copy machine made a noise, startling her from her gaze, and Kakashi stacked his copies before repeating the whole process over.

Sakura slowly stood from her chair, pulling her backpack onto her shoulders. She ignored the laughter that had annoyed her so badly earlier, barely even noticing it now. Taking a step toward her professor, she took a deep breath and stepped to the side of the copy machine, glancing down at the stacks of papers before looking up at him. "Good afternoon, Ms. Haruno."

She didn't let herself react to him not calling her by her first name. She shook her hair from her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, leaning a shoulder against the wall. "Hey. I didn't want to bother you but I'm curious if you got our tests graded."

Kakashi grinned and nodded before pulling the fresh copies from the tray right in front of Sakura's stomach. She took a step back, the back of his hands coming too close to touching her. He didn't seemed to even notice. "I did, actually."

"Do you happen to remember what I made?"

"Not off the top of my head. It was good, though."

She didn't want good . She wanted the best. Pursing her lips, she stepped back to the copier and nodded, not satisfied with his answer. What did she expect? He couldn't remember her test grade just because she had a little crush on him. Besides, hadn't she come to the conclusion that he didn't reciprocate her feelings, no matter how much she had built it all up in her mind? It was just another one of her fantasies that she couldn't let go of.

Kakashi glanced down at her as he slipped the large stack of papers back into his briefcase, pulling the original out of the machine. "You don't seem very happy about that." His tone was teasing and it made her stomach twist uncomfortable inside her. Sakura wished he wouldn't sound so good when he talked to her. She was dying to know how he sounded when he talked to his other students. Was his voice that low and deep with anyone else?

She lifted her eyes up to him and forced a half smile. "I was just hoping to know exactly what grade I had." Her heartbeat was loud in her ears as they stared at one another, his hands slowing as they zipped his satchel back up. As much as her head was repeating to her that he had no feelings for her and that he definitely didn't notice this strange attraction between them, she couldn't ignore the fact that it was there. Her entire body buzzed with little jolts of electricity anytime she was near him and she was sure the hair along her arms was standing.

Kakashi seemed to break free of whatever passed between them and cleared his throat, throwing the strap of his satchel over his head. "Well," He glanced around before checking the watch around his wrist. "I'm heading back to my office right now. If you want to know your grade, I'll pull it up for you." A strange pull behind her navel made Sakura nearly take a step back. She blinked and crossed her arms over her chest, not able to do much else aside from nod. For a moment, neither made a move to leave. This wasn't exactly keeping her distance from him and she knew this was exactly the dangerous behavior she should be avoiding. But, as he turned to make his way back across the library floor, Sakura followed closely behind, ignoring the warning in her head.

She could feel her phone buzzing in her backpack and she cursed beneath her breath, realizing that Ino would be meeting her before long. She quickly pulled her phone out and checked the message. It wasn't from Ino and just a text reminding her that she had to work early in the morning. She shoved it into her pocket as Kakashi opened the library door for her, standing to the side so she could pass in front of him. It was all she could do to keep herself from taking in a deep breath of his scent as she passed.

The air outside was cold and she regretted not bringing a jacket, despite the long sleeves of her T-shirt. She hugged her arms around her waist as she let him lead her down the brick sidewalk toward the his building. She couldn't tell if the tension between them was awkward, normal, or sexual. It definitely didn't feel normal. This wasn't the first time she had ever talked to a professor or even walked with them to their office. It had never felt like this before though.

"I wanted to apologize, for yesterday. I didn't mean to imply you were being dumb or lazy." He glanced down at her and she blinked in surprise. "You're incredibly smart and I was just annoyed that the other students made you feel like that. I kind of hoped you were rubbing off on them."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry about it. I didn't think you were implying anything." She just figured he was showing the side of him he always showed her in class. But, hearing him apologize now made her smile. Every time she thought he was too harsh or cold, he proved her wrong and made her insides warm. Sakura bit her lip, thankful for the heat spreading over her skin to block out the chill in the wind. They rounded around the Humanities building and Kakashi turned them onto the right path. It wasn't long before the enormous, modern structure of the Science department loomed before them.

He held the door open for her once again and this time, she breathed in his scent, holding it for as long as she could. It should be a crime for anyone to smell that good. She didn't wait on him, too caught up in committing his scent to memory to realize that he was nearly two steps behind her. He chuckled as he caught up to her, shaking his head. "You in a hurry?" He asked and Sakura almost answered him with a 'yes' before clamping her mouth shut tight.

She couldn't exactly admit to wanting to be alone with him, even if it was in his office. A hundred fantasies swirled through her head as they took the stairs, nearly all involving him pushing her down on his desk as he kissed her. Heat flared over her face and she was definitely regretting wearing long sleeves. She pushed them up to her elbows and tried not to think about how they were relatively alone in the stairwell. What would he do if she pushed him against the wall between floors and made a move? Could she be as bold as Ino had suggested? Her heart pounded like a drum as she embarrassingly realized that she was turning herself on.

They made it to the top floor and Sakura held her breath as she glanced at the office doors around them. Only one was open and thankfully it was right off the stairs, no where near his office at the end of the hall. The woman at the desk was far too busy typing to even notice them and soon, they were turning into his own space. He flipped the light switch on at the side of the door and dropped his satchel down on his desk, nodding for Sakura to take a seat. She couldn't help notice that he pushed the door until it was open only a few inches.

Her legs trembled as she lowered herself into the chair across from him. She watched him turn his computer on, glancing up at him, wishing she could know if he was feeling the same tension she was. There was no way he wasn't. She could see that his fingers were fidgeting nervously as he tried to pull the zipper of his hooded jacket. He slipped it off and tossed it onto the back of his chair and Sakura had to bit the inside of her lip to keep from making a sound. His shirt hugged his body, making her imagination run wild with what he had beneath it.

Kakashi sat down as the computer screen came to life, the system taking a bit long to start up. He pulled the papers he had been making copies of out of his satchel and set them down on his desk in front of Sakura. "Mind helping me staple these?" He handed her a stapler and she took it from him, the tip of her middle finger touching his knuckle. Their eyes met at the same time and Sakura was certain now. He felt it too.

Kakashi cleared his throat and turned to the computer though it hadn't finished booting up. He was definitely nervous and she couldn't help the small smile that tugged the corner of her lips. She glanced down at the stack of papers. They were tests for another Chemistry class he taught. She took one page from the top stack and put it on top of the back page, stapling the corner while her mind was screaming at her to say something to him. She wanted to call him out, to demand he tell her that he noticed this connection, this undeniable attraction to her. God, just knowing the fact that he had wanted to come up to her apartment that night thrilled her to the core.

"What class is this for?" She asked to take her mind off of the internal screaming, the sharp sound of the stapler cutting through the tension spreading between them. Biting her lower lip, she set the tests to the side to continue the process, avoiding his gaze.

"Advanced Inorganic Chemistry." She didn't know how something so complex could sound so alluring but she figured it had something to do with the tone of his voice. She pressed the stapler over the two pages and glanced at him over the top of the test. He turned to the computer screen and logged into the university's website. Another sharp click echoed around the office as she stapled a test and set it aside.

Her hand was cramping by the time he pulled up his grade book but she refused to stop. It was a distraction from staring at him, at least.

"Sounds complicated." She said quietly. "Is it very difficult?"

Kakashi glanced at her as his fingers hovered over the keyboard, a small smile on his lips. "It's not exactly in your degree plan." He tapped at the keyboard and narrowed his eyes at the screen. Sakura watched him slip on a pair of reading glasses, the sight of him nearly making her drop the stapler from her hands. She didn't know how he managed to look so adorable while being so achingly hot. It wasn't fair. No one should be able to look that good.

She gave a small shrug and clamped the stapler together loudly, shifting in her chair, trying to ignore the arousal growing through her. "Maybe I just want to take it for fun." It took all she had not to look at him in that moment but she could feel his gaze on her and it was scorching across her skin. She poured every bit of concentration she had into the last remaining tests and bit down hard on her lip, the silence between them nearly smothering her.

"Oh, I'm sure by the end of this semester, you'll be sick of me."

Her eyes met his and she took a shaking breath before her lips stretched into a smile. "I doubt that." Surprised flashed over his face for a brief second before he blinked it away and studied her, turning his head a bit to the side. Sakura could see him searching for something to say but was coming up completely empty. Good. She nodded toward the computer before setting the last of the tests down on the stack. "Is that my grade?"

Kakashi cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the computer screen, faltering for a moment as if he almost forgot what he was looking at. He clicked on a tab at the top of the page and her grades all appeared on the screen. She was pleased to see that she her grades were all A's and each of her labs were 100's. Just seeing it on his computer screen gave her a strange sense of satisfaction and she watched him scroll down to her midterm grade. "You made a 97. I think you only missed one."

Her smile dropped from her face and she felt the need to curse, knowing which question had stumped her. She sat back in the chair and resisted the urge to pout like a child. There would be no talking her way up in points this time. Kakashi chuckled and took his glasses off, tossing them onto the desk beside the monitor. "Don't look so disappointed. It was the highest grade, as usual."

"I just thought I had gotten them all right. I wanted…" She paused and let her eyes meet his, not sure if she should finish her thought. Her heart leapt into her throat as she struggled to swallow around the words sitting heavy on her tongue. She tucked her hair behind her ear and blinked down at the stack of tests she had finished. "I wanted to impress you."

"You did." His voice was quiet but still made a chill pass over her. "Sakura, I-"

His words were cut off by the shrill ringing of her cellphone in her pocket. She pressed a hand to her hip and cursed whoever was calling her! The way he had said her name made her feel as if she were going to come undone and melt right into the floor. She was dying to know what he was going to say and now she'd never know! She glanced quickly at the name, vowing to throttle Ino for calling her at such a horrible moment before ignoring the call and silencing the ringer. But, it was too late.

Kakashi's mask was back up, and she could feel the air surrounding him was completely different. He was closed off, no more smirk pulling at the corner of his pale lips, no more dark, unfathomable gazes. He grabbed the stack of tests from in front of her and stood, clearing his throat. "Thank you for stapling these. I'll see you on Monday."

Sakura stood, feeling as if she had just been slapped in the face. She grabbed her book back and hesitated, glancing around his desk as he busied himself with anything that would distract him from her. It was glaringly obvious how much he was trying to keep himself from looking at her. Pursing her lips, Sakura slipped her backpack on her shoulders and turned to the door. She opened her mouth, not even sure of what she wanted to say. It wouldn't have changed anything anyway. Without a word, she slipped out of his office and shut the door quietly behind her and as she hurried back to the library where she knew Ino was angrily waiting for her, Sakura couldn't stop thinking about what he was about to say to her.

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 **AN** \- So, This isn't quite the 'alone time' some of you had in mind. Like I said before, this is going to be a slow, slow burn. Also, I'll be away at my parent's next week for the holiday weekend so I'm debating on whether or not to post the next chapter early, or to wait until the week after. The next chapter has been one of my favorites so I'm excited to post it :D


	11. Fire

**AN** \- So, I realized two minutes ago that next weekend isn't the holiday where I'll be away...it's the week after next. But, I already prepared this chapter to be posted and I'm excited for everyone to read it, so...here it is. A special treat from me to you!

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"What are we, twelve years old?" Sakura asked with a scoff as she pulled out a rather short costume that hung on the shelf of the shop she and three of her closest friends sat. They had been invited to one of the infamous parties that the fraternities all came together to throw each semester for a random charity. The university only acknowledged and allowed parties if they were a school function. Collecting money at the door and giving it to a local nonprofit was the perfect plan. They would be able to drink all they wanted, the police wouldn't be called, and they'd be doing it all for a good cause.

It wasn't exactly Sakura's favorite event to attend but this year was a costume party and Ino had practically begged them all to go with her. And of course, they would have to buy costumes beforehand. From the dressing room, Hinata poked her head out from behind the red curtain and wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I'm wearing this right." Before she could even let them in, Ino snatched the curtain to the side, her blue eyes bulging at the sight they were met with.

Tenten did a poor job of hiding her laughter behind her hand and Hinata shot a glare her way. The girl didn't look bad but it was very clear that the costume she picked out was meant to be worn by someone not so well endowed. Her chest was barely covered in the blue fabric and she was pulling uncomfortably at the material digging into her crotch. "Yeah, that won't do at all! Here," Ino thrust another garment toward her; this one an all black, form fitting catsuit. "I'm sure Naruto'll be drooling over you all night in this." The blush on Hinata's cheeks nearly lit the entire costume store but she took the suit and closed the curtain back around her.

Ino shook her head and leaned an elbow onto one of the racks of frilly undergarments at her side. She nodded to Sakura who had avoided her best friend's controlling nature so far that day. "What about you, Pinky?"

"What about me?"

"What do you want your costume to be?" She reached over and thumped Sakura across the forehead, making the girl smack her hand away. Honestly, Saura was hoping to dress as something rather boring, have a few drinks at the party and duck out early. She hadn't been in much of a mood to socialize lately and she was glad that her friends all assumed it was because Sasuke had graduated. The last two years, she had been at nearly every gathering just to catch a glimpse of the guy.

She rolled her eyes as she turned back to the costumes hanging along the wall beside the fitting rooms. Most of the skirts were far too short and she just didn't see why they had to be 'sexy' versions of normal, mundane things. A sexy police officer, a sexy cat, a sexy unicorn...It was ridiculous. She passed her hand over the silky material of a witch's costume and looked above it on the wall. Hanging on the top rack, was one that didn't look too slutty. It was a red skirt, with a black bodice and hooded cape. The tag hanging off the sleeve read 'Little Red' and Sakura put her hands on her hips. It wasn't the worst costume she had seen and if she was going to be dragged to a party where a costume was required, then it definitely would be the one she could see herself wearing.

"What about this one?" She asked, pointing to the dress. Ino and Tenten looked up at it and the blonde smiled wickedly.

"Oh yeah. That's perfect!"

* * *

The fraternity house was twice as packed with people as Ino's apartment had been for her birthday. Games had been set up in the first floor dining room and the girls had spent the majority of their time there trying to beat a team of boys at beer pong. Of course, being lightweights, Sakura and Hinata had only given them a handicap which resulted in Tenten nearly tipping the table over. After playing two rounds, Sakura had declined a third and stood by the sink in the kitchen, trying to get the cap off of her beer bottle. She sighed, twisting the cap for a third time but was stopped by someone taking the bottle from her hands.

"Hey!" She protested, reaching out to snatch her drink back. The sight of a familiar face stopped her and she took a small step back against the sink. It was Professor Hatake's TA and he looked just as bored at the party as he had looked that day she had seen him in class. He grabbed a bottle opener and popped the lid off before handing the beer back to her. Sakura felt a bit embarrassed but brushed it off and took a sip. "You're Hatake's TA, aren't you?" It felt strange talking about him as if she was just his student and not one that fantasized about him in any spare moment she had.

The guy nodded and took a drink of his own beer. "Yeah, and I still can't believe he gave you those points."

"Point. Just one." Sakura held up a finger and winced as Ino was swearing rather loudly and angrily from across the kitchen as she missed another shot. "I'm Sakura, by the way."

"I know." He didn't elaborate on how he knew and Sakura's heart beat quickened at the thought that maybe _he_ had talked about her. She tucked her hair behind her ear, ignoring the intense feeling of heat building inside her. "I'm Shikamaru."

They both shifted away from the sink as several girls dressed in bunny suits came giggling up behind them, glancing toward Shikamaru who didn't pay them any attention. Sakura turned back to watch her two friend's rather heated game. She glanced to the boy at her side and wondered if he would think it strange if she asked about her current crush. She swallowed. "So, you're a chemistry major?"

He shook his head. "Forensics. I'm just interested in Chemistry and in the past year, Hatake's become sort of a mentor to me." Sakura put her hand to her heart and bit her lower lip, struggling against the urge to grin. She knew she was being ridiculous but, she had been drinking and he just never ceased to surprise her. Taking a student under his wing didn't seem like the kind of thing Professor Hatake would have done...but it was exactly what she would expect from Kakashi.

Since her visit to his office on Thursday, she had been referring to them as completely separate people. Professor Hatake was the cold, unapologetic and sometimes frightening man she had trouble liking but Kakashi...He was adorable, sexy, and somewhat of a dork. The past few days had been torture for her and she figured she was the only student in the University that couldn't wait to get this party over with so she could sit in his class on Monday morning, front row and center.

Sakura realized a bit too late that she had been staring off into space and she hoped he hadn't been trying to talk to her. She hadn't heard a bit of it if he had. Before she could apologize for spacing out, Ino strolled up to the counter, arms crossed angrily over her chest. "You're no longer allowed to be on my team for any drinking games." She snatched a beer from the cooler behind Sakura and popped the top off easily on the side of the counter. As she took a gulp from the bottle, she glanced to Shikamaru. "You're in my Psych class." It wasn't a question and he blinked lazily at her as she poked a finger into his chest.

"Aren't you the one who always falls asleep?" He asked around the mouth of his beer bottle.

"I've seen you dozing off quite a few times before as well." Ino tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and leaned a hip against the counter. The two bickered back and forth as if they had known each other for years and Sakura slowly inched away from them, knowing she was much better off not getting between Ino when she was already so fired up over losing. Tenten was still at the table, gaining two more male teammates who seemed to be doing a much better job than her last two.

Sakura ventured into the living room of the house where the lights were dimmed and a cloud of smoke hung low over the heads of people sitting around on the couches. She spied them passing a few joints back and forth before hurrying down the hall to another large room that had been set up for dancing and music. A guy in black sunglasses sat at a booth with music equipment set up, playing songs with bass so deep Sakura could feel her hair shaking around her shoulders. The lighting was dim in here too but she could clearly see the familiar figure dressed in a black catsuit standing in the corner. Hinata had her arms around Naruto's neck with their hips pressing rather close together, swaying gently to the music.

A tightness pulled at her chest and she tried to ignore it as she leaned against a bookcase, sipping her beer. She scanned the crowd, hoping for a familiar face to take her mind off of the fact that she was alone in a room full of couples who seemed to be dancing rather intimately. Just as she started to turn away, a very familiar figure made her double take and she felt her jaw hang open slightly. Standing at the opposite side of the room in a dimly lit corner was Sasuke. The swirling colors of light that pulsed to the music caught his face and Sakura felt her chest clench tightly.

How long had he been here? Why had he not told her he was coming back? He knew she was a part of his same circle of friends. He would have known she would be here. She took a step forward as several people standing between them cleared away, letting her see the girl hanging onto his side. Her steps halted and she felt her stomach sink like a brick to the floor. He wasn't alone.

He had his arm draped over the girl's shoulders. She was giggling at something he said and Sakura could only stare as she remembered her name. Karin. She had been one of the hundreds of other girls who had set their sights on Sasuke in the last year...Sakura watched her lean into him, her face turned up to nuzzle into his neck. Sasuke glanced out of the corner of his eyes, his gaze meeting Sakura's as if he knew that she'd be standing in that exact spot, waiting for him. The room spun on its side. Time slowed and for a split second, Sakura wanted to smile, wanted to walk up to him and just be near him again. The corner of his lips lifted before he turned back to Karin and whispered something in the girl's ear to make her shriek with laughter.

Tears pricked sudden and hot against her eyelids but she refused to let them spill. Sakura set her beer bottle down on a bookshelf and spun on her heel, pushing her way through the hallway. The smoke in the living room had gotten a bit thicker and she coughed and waved her hand as she hurried through to the front door. "Sakura?" Ino called from the kitchen but she couldn't stop. There was no way she was staying at a party where she would be forced to watch Sasuke suck on Karin Uzumaki's neck. The thought made her feel sick to her stomach and she regretting drinking so much beer earlier. She paused on the porch, nearly knocking a cup out of a girl's hand as she braced herself against the railing.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Ino was at her side, her blue eyes full of worry as she looked over her face.

She swallowed the lump and nodded, forcing a frown despite the fact that all she wanted was to scream and hit something very hard. "I think I drank too much. Beer never sits right with me."

"Do you want to puke? I'll hold your hair." She pulled Sakura down the steps toward the bushes that lined the sidewalk. Sakura shook her head and forced a laugh, hating how bitter it sounded on her lips.

"No, I'm fine. I've got some medicine at home. I think I'm going to go home, take some and crash."

"But, it's so early." Ino pouted but this was one guilt trip she was not going to win. Nothing short of a miracle would keep Sakura at this party now. With a small smile, she gave her friend a hug.

"It's past midnight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Text me when you get inside! Here," Ino dug into her cleavage, making Sakura's eyes bulge a bit. "Take my mace." She pulled a small, black tube of pepper spray from the inside of her bra and grinned. A few guys standing on the lawn seemed rather impressed by her trick and called her over to them. She pressed the spray into Sakura's hands, told her goodbye and grinned mischievously before walking over to join the group of boys.

Sakura turned and headed toward the street, crossing it quickly to put as much distance between the party and her as she could. Even after she had walked a block away, the memory of seeing Sasuke with a hussy like Karin felt like it was a heavy, wet blanket that dragged her down with every step. She wanted to shrug it off, to be able to laugh and drink with her friends despite him being there but she couldn't. She was hurt, no matter how much she didn't want to be. It was crystal clear now where they stood with each other. She had been just another fuck, some random college girl to bed and brush aside to him.

Tears stung her eyelids and she cursed them as they fell down her face. If there was one thing she hated, it was feeling weak and that was exactly what Sasuke made her feel. She was weak and powerless and he knew that he was hurting her. He didn't care.

"Ugh!" Sakura stopped on a corner and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, glancing around at the buildings surrounding her. She hadn't realized that she had been walking in the opposite direction of her house and she dropped her hands to her side and lifted her face to the sky in defeat. There was no way she was going back the way she came. Going near that party just wasn't an option right now. The only other choice would be to cut through a few streets that she wasn't too familiar with. Most of them were full of business that had closed for the night but she could see several neon 'open' signs in the front windows of a few bars.

She squared her shoulders and headed toward them, assuring herself that she had her mace and she and Ino had taken a self defense course their first semester at school. There didn't seem to be very many people inhabiting the bars, despite it being a Saturday night. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and crossed the street before turning a corner to head back toward the campus. A car passed her, the headlights nearly blinding her and she put a hand to her face to shield her eyes. She took two steps before nearly colliding with a man who was leaning against the steps of a bank. "Oh, sorry." She mumbled, feeling very self conscious and exposed in her costume. It wasn't as short as the sexy police woman Ino had chose, or as tight as the cat suit Hinata had dressed in but it definitely made her stand out. The red hooded cape was a bright beacon on her back as she walked down the darkened streets.

"It's no problem, darlin'." The man said with a sneer, his eyes roaming over her body as she passed. She could practically feel his gaze on her ass. She gripped the tube of pepper spray tightly in her fist and hoped he didn't notice that she had picked up her pace. For several steps, she was sure he wasn't following her. Biting her lip, she glanced back and felt terror leak through her as he pushed off the steps and turned her way.

Shit. Of all the fucking nights to leave her cell phone at home.

Don't panic, she told herself. It was completely possible that he was just going in the same direction. He could live right around the corner for all she knew. "Hey, don't I know you?" His voice echoed off the darkened buildings and Sakura shook her head, not looking back at him.

"No, I don't think so." She called loud enough for him to hear. She walked faster, barely glancing down the street for cars before she crossed onto the next block. In the windows of the business across the street, she could see him still following her. He was closer now, jogging to catch up to her. Sakura turned sharply to the right and crossed the street, her hands shaking around the metal tube of pepper spray. The sound of her footsteps matched her heart beat pounding fast in her ears and she took a shaking breath before hurrying toward the campus. She risked a glance over her shoulder and cursed beneath her breath as the man stepped off the curb, heading straight for her.

A car horn sounded in front of her and Sakura jumped nearly a foot in the air as she watched a silver car pull up to the curb. The tinted window rolled down slowly and she blinked in shock at the sight of Kakashi. He had one hand on the steering wheel, his eyes never wavering from the man who had been following her. "Get in." He said, not making a move to look away. Relief flooded through her and she hurried around the car, slipping into the passenger seat with ragged breath. "Did he hurt you?" He asked, glancing her over with a raised eyebrow. His gaze lingered on her costume and she felt her cheeks darken. Sakura shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"No. I'm fine."

She didn't know what he was doing there, or how in the world he had found her but she was beyond thankful. Her pulse still raced out of control and she gripped the leather car seat beneath her as he shifted gears and sped through the street, leaving the man who had followed her far behind them. The city lights flashed over her as he drove and she watched out of the corner of her eye as they lit his face. She pinched herself on her thigh to make sure she wasn't actually dreaming and that she was in fact sitting in her professor's car. The realization that they were now alone, heading in the opposite direction of her apartment hit her suddenly and she struggled to calm herself. It seemed like hours had passed since she had been at the party and had seen Sasuke. She glanced out of the tinted window to her reflection in the side mirror, barely able to see through the dark glass.

"Thank you." She said quietly, turning her gaze down to her lap. "I don't want to know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

Kakashi didn't respond. He shifted gears as they took a right and the countless buildings thinned and began to fade behind them. Sidewalks ended, buildings shrank and soon they were passing houses and longer stretches of trees. Sakura sat up and watched the scenery speed by them. She was aware that she was alone with a man she didn't really know and could hear her mother's voice in the back of her mind, scolding her for being so irresponsible. Swallowing back her hesitation, she glanced to him. "Why were you there, anyway?" She asked quietly, studying his profile as he watched the road. He blinked and took a deep breath, giving a small shrug of his shoulder.

"I...I was actually on a date."

"Oh." It felt as if she had been punched in the gut and she blinked, trying to hide her disappointment. "I hope I didn't interrupt your date."

The corner of his lips twitched into a small smile and he shook his head, finally turning to look at her. "I was on my way home, actually and I saw you walking. Well, I thought it was you and when I turned around to check, you were running from that asshole." He turned back to the road, his fingers gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter, as if he were struggling to control his anger. Sakura didn't have anything to say. She was relieved that he had been there, grateful that he decided to turn around but all she could think about was who he could have possibly been on a date with. Where did he take her? Was she pretty? Did they kiss? The questions running through her mind seemed too inappropriate to ask him. "You looked scared." He said quietly, jerking Sakura from her thoughts.

The tone of his voice made her heart ache and she was overwhelmed by the desire to reach for his hand and hold it in hers. He was concerned about her. She licked her lips and ducked her head. "I was. It's been a really shitty night." Her voice broke as she let her head fall back against the headrest, watching the streetlights speed by. The hurt and anger she had felt earlier from Sasuke mixed sourly with the terror and panic of being chased down the street by a strange man and left her exhausted, yet she was much too wound up to even think about sleep.

Kakashi slowed the car down and pulled off to the right, heading down a darkened, one way street of a park Sakura recognized. She had played there as a kid but the play grounds were almost all grown over with weeds and shrubs now. A swing set swayed in the gentle breeze and Sakura stared at it as they drove slowly passed. "Where are we?" She asked quietly.

"Oh...I have to let my dogs out. They've been inside all night. It'll just take a few minutes and I'll drive you back home." He glanced at her with an apologetic smile before he turned into a small driveway, thick trees lining both sides of the path. The headlights lit a house that sat in the middle of the woods. It was very manly but neat and well taken care of. Seeing where he lived made her stomach flutter like crazy inside her and she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning.

She didn't look at him, too busy studying the shrubs that sat neatly trimmed beneath the front windows and the small garage at the end of the driveway. Her fingers curled around the door handle before he had even put the car in park and she stepped out. The lawn was both neat and wild at the same time. Ivy creeped up the side of the house, stretching across a side porch that connected to the garage while the grass was cut short between a path of paving stones. It fit him perfectly and she hugged her arms around her waist, the cool breeze making goosebumps cover her bare arms. "You have a dog?" She asked, glancing back at him.

She sucked in a tiny breath as she turned toward him, surprised to see him so close to her. His scent was everywhere and instantly drove her mad with desire. He lead the way to his front door, turning to smirk at her from over his shoulder. "I have eight." He slipped his key into the lock and twisted it. Sakura could faintly hear whining from behind the door and she braced herself as he pulled it open. A small army of dogs sped out of the house, some stopping to leap at Kakashi's legs while the others sped toward Sakura, nearly all of them wearing sweaters of some kind.

She dropped to her knees with a laugh as tails wagged crazily around her and each of his dogs took their time sniffing her and licking at her fingers and chin. The smallest one in a blue sweater scrambled into her lap, whining the loudest for attention and she cradled him into her arms, scratching at his chin as the others took off toward the park to leap and bound now that they were free. Sakura looked up from the dog in her arms to where Kakashi stood on his front steps, hands stuffed in his pockets as he watched her. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find anything worthy to even say. She was utterly and happily speechless. What could she possibly say, anyway? It was beginning to get harder and harder to believe she wasn't actually dreaming now.

"I can't believe you have eight dogs." She said as she set the little one down, watching him take off toward his friends before she stood to her feet. She could hear little yips and barks echoing through the night. Kakashi took a step toward her and shrugged, as if this were something completely normal and not unbelievably adorable. Shaking her head, she put her hands on her hips. "Just when I think I have you figured out…"

"Oh, there's no point trying to figure me out." He winked down at her and stood, watching from the back of his car as his dogs did their business and rooted out all the smells that ran along the ground. Sakura leaned a hip against the taillight, unable to look away from him. She put her elbows on the trunk and set her chin in her hands, studying the profile of his face, trying to imagine where in the world he could have gotten the scar on his eye from. It didn't take any of the handsomeness away from him but added so many layers of mystery to a man who already confused Sakura more every moment that she spent with him. The conversation she had with Ino before the semester had begun about her prick of a Bio-Chem teacher seemed as if it happened years ago. He was so different than what she expected.

"I can't believe that two months ago, I was terrified of a guy who has this many dogs and dresses them in little sweaters."

He folded his arms over his chest and turned to look down at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "You were afraid of me?"

"You are aware of your reputation, aren't you? Although, I may have hyped you up a bit in my head when I was told I had to take your class." She peeked up at him. "Is it true you made a girl cry and drop out?" She hoped he wouldn't take offense to the rumor she had heard.

Kakashi scoffed and rubbed a hand across his face, shaking his head. "It's possible. I don't remember a girl ever crying because of me, though." Oh, Sakura didn't believe that. No one could be as good looking, smart, and cold as he could be without breaking a few hearts along the way. He looked up at the canopy of trees overhead and sighed. A few of his dogs came trotting back to the yard, all looking rather proud for being the first ones back. They occupied themselves with sniffing the car's tires and playing with a few toys that were strown around the yard. Sakura stared up at Kakashi, watching the clench of his jaw and the length of his eyelashes as he blinked up at the night.

She had never wanted to kiss someone more than she wanted to kiss him in that moment. Her lips tingled, fingers twitched, and she closed her eyes, praying that he would do exactly what she wished. Instead, she asked one of the questions that had been plaguing her mind since she had got in the car with him. "Who were you on a date with tonight?"

"A girl one of my friends set me up with. It was a blind date." He said after hesitating for so long that she feared she had gone too far.

"Was she pretty?"

He looked down at her now, making her breath still in her lungs. His eyes pierced through her as he studied her face, obviously confused by her questions. Couldn't he see that she was painfully jealous and needed to know if he liked this girl more than he liked her. "She was." Her heart clenched in her chest and Sakura nodded, turning to look out at the rest of the dogs that were slow to come back home.

"Are you going to see her again?" The words were a whisper on her lips and she could see her breath in the cool night. It was absolutely none of her business who he went out with and who he saw but, she couldn't help asking. She would never stop wondering if she didn't.

"No. She was nice and she was pretty but…" He trailed off, and Sakura ducked her head to hide her smile. "There just wasn't any chemistry." She closed her eyes as his words seeped sweetly into her heart and she struggled to find a breath. He turned toward her and Sakura let her eyes flutter open, the sight of him so close to her made her head spin. He glanced down to her mouth, his gaze lingering so long that she feared she would faint before he could kiss her. The world stopped turning and everything around her melted away as Kakashi reached up, his hand hesitating for a brief moment before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingertips lingered, warm and soft against her jaw.

At Sakura's feet, the small pug in the blue sweater barked loudly, jerking her out of her daze. She gasped, mourning the lost moment as Kakashi took a step back, putting a few feet between them. The moment was clearly over and she wanted to whine and beg him to touch her again. With a scowl, she kneeled to the ground and scratched the pug under the chin. "You little scamp." She couldn't be too mad at something so adorable. From over her head, Kakashi whistled loudly and headed back to the front door of his house. Sakura stood and folded her arms over her chest, not ready to leave just yet. She wanted to see inside his house, what it looked like and smelled like. Could she convince him to let her stay? Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she waited by the car for him to usher the group back into the house. The last dog slipped inside just before he locked the door behind them and turned back to the car.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

He ducked into the driver's seat and Sakura hesitated, staring at the hood of the car, wracking her brain for any excuse. She didn't know how to tell him she wasn't interested in going home, that she would much rather spend the night here, in his bed, surrounded by his dogs and him. She bit the inside of her lip and pulled the door open, before dropping into the seat. The engine came to life and they slowly backed out of his driveway. Sakura watched his house fall further away until he turned back onto the highway and she was left wondering if she had even been there at all.

She hoped he didn't notice her pouting but a small part of her did. She wanted him to take pity on her and give in to what she wanted. The street lights passed by them a bit slower than they had on the way to his home and she sat back against the headrest, turning away from the window. Kakashi's hand rest on the gear shift, his fingers only inches away from her knee. The voice in the back of her mind was telling her not to move, that it would be innappropriate and she shouldn't push him to cross boundaries he didn't want to. But, in that moment, she didn't really care. Sakura ignored the warning signs and shifted slightly in the seat. Her knee touched the back of his fingers and she grabbed the sides of the seat with a trembling grip.

She stared at the small stretch of her skin resting against his last two fingers. She tried to think of how many times they had touched before and why this tiny bit of conact made her suddenly so aroused. Kakashi's fingers twitched against her flesh, moving so achingly slow as he slipped them across the top of her knee that she felt as if she were going to pass out. She had to stop herself from moaning but she nearly came completely undone in that second. Her skin was scorching beneath his touch that she was afraid he would burn her. She refused to move, even though she wanted to bring his hand further up her thigh, wanted to feel his fingers against her and inside her.

She sucked in a tiny breath as he drew a slow, small circle across the top of her knee with his thumb. The voice in the back of her mind was now screaming about boundaries and that this was far too inappropriate for a professor and a student. But, fuck boundaries. She didn't know how he could make her feel as if she were going to come from just touching her knee but her breaths came fast and she slid further down in the seat, inching his fingers just a bit up her thigh. Her head was a cloudy mess and she couldn't concentrate on one thought long enough to do anything aside from freak out. How did his hand fit so perfectly on her? What was he thinking about? Was his heart pounding as hard as her's was at that moment?

He turned the car to the left and she wanted to cry. The buildings were familiar once again and she knew they were close to her apartment. Before she was ready, his fingers slipped away from her and she dug her fingernails into her palms to keep her from crying out in protest. He shifted gears and took a right, heading toward the campus. She watched with a sigh as they passed the familiar Village Cafe. Only a couple of blocks to go before she would be alone in her apartment, too aroused and frustrated to think straight.

God, this was not how she wanted this to end. A faint touch here, a burning caress there, it was enough to drive her mad with desire and she felt as if she were almost there now. As the car slowed to a stop outside of the flower shop she lived above, Sakura made no move to get out. Her throat felt tight around the words she desperately wanted to say and she swallowed hard. "Do you have to leave?" She asked, pulling at the hem of her costume to occupy her fingers so she didn't reach over and grab him.

"I think it would be best if I did."

"I don't want to be alone." It was the truth, not just something she was saying to get him to stay. The night had been such a roller coaster of emotions, from hurt and anger, to fear, to desire. She was exhausted but wanted nothing more than to feel his touch across the rest of her body. Kakashi sighed and scrubbed his palm across his face, keeping his gaze on anything but her. She knew without him saying anything that he wanted to come up. It wasn't unclear to her anymore. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him and she hated that she was pushing him to do something he wasn't comfortable with. "I'm sorry." She shook her head and turned to the door, her fingers searching for the handle. His hand grabbed her gently around the wrist, making her fall back against the seat.

"Wait." He patted the pockets of his jacket until he dipped a hand in and pulled out his cell phone, handing it to her. Sakura stared at it for a second before raising her eyebrows. "Put your number in." Her eyes went wide as she grabbed the device and tried to remember her phone number. Her fingers shook as she dialed, letting it ring once before hanging up and handing it back to him. Their eyes met and Kakashi let his hand linger on hers for a moment before turning to the screen. She watched him store her number under SH. "Now you can talk to me anytime you feel lonely."

"That's the majority of the time." She said quietly, glancing from the bright screen to his face and he chuckled. It felt so good to see his smile and she couldn't hold her own back.

"That's fine. I like talking to you." Oh, that was music to her ears. It wasn't a kiss or a touch but, it felt just as good and Sakura felt as if she could float as she opened the car door and stepped out. She hurried to the sidewalk, stooped to the small flower pot sitting next to the gate and turned it over, plucking the spare key she kept hidden beneath it. To her delight, Kakashi sat in the car and watched her as she closed the gate behind her and walked up the steps. Her fingers shook, knowing his eyes were on her and she glanced back at the car with a wave before stepping inside.

Once the door was shut, she collapsed against it and put her hands to her forehead, staring into the darkness of her quiet apartment. She reached over and flipped the lights of her kitchen on. Po came around the corner of the living room, meowing angrily that she was getting home so late and disturbing his beauty sleep. He nuzzled against her leg and jumped to the counter to demand a midnight snack. It was way past midnight, though. Sakura grabbed her phone from the coffee table and stared at the call she had missed five minutes ago. She quickly stored his number, unsure of what name to put him under. She decided to do the same as him and typed in KH.

Before she could stop herself, she pulled up a text message and typed quickly to him. ' _Thank you, again, for helping me tonight.'_

' _You're welcome.'_

His response was quick and she felt like dancing through her apartment as she read over the two simple words. She spun on her toes, ignoring the judgmental gaze of her fluffy, chubby cat. The phone vibrated in her hands and she couldn't open the text message fast enough. It was him again. _'Btw, why were you dressed like Little Red Riding Hood?'_

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 **AN-** Don't hate me too much. Updates will be back to normal next week but I'll be gone the week after. :) Thanks so much for all the responses! I'm so thrilled you're all enjoying yourselves as much as I've enjoyed writing this!


	12. Little Moments

AN- Sooo...This chapter is a lot shorter than the last and I apologize for it. I had been mistaken the last week and next week is the holidays where I probably won't have a lot of time to write. Going to visit two sides of my family and all. So, I post Chapter 11 tonight and like last week, I'll post the next one tomorrow or Sunday...and just like last week, the next update will be a good one ;) It'll get a bit...steamier in Chapter 12. Thanks to all for the comments and kudos. I'm amazed this has become so popular!

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Winter had settled in over Konoha with heavy, gray clouds and a biting wind that made Sakura pull her coat closer around her as she walked toward the campus. Her fingers shook, unable to find warmth deep in her pockets and she wished she could feel the heat she had found in Kakashi's car. Just thinking back to the way his hand had felt against her flesh helped warm her as the breeze blew her hair away from her face. She sighed at the memory of him and quickly crossed the street. Cars were packed into the parking lots and she wondered if she was the only one who had decided to brave the cold and walk.

The open lawn of the campus wasn't as packed with students as it usually was. Either no one wanted to sit outside and wait for friends or they just didn't want to come to class on such a cold Monday. Nothing could keep Sakura away, though. She was dying to see him again. Would he be the usual stoic Professor Hatake, keeping his distance from her, or would he be the warmth she needed right now? Of course, she didn't expect him to be anything but the usual. And that was alright, as long as he saved the other just for her.

She hurried into the science building, wrinkling her nose at the smell of different chemical fumes burning in the labs. She pushed the door open to the classroom and frowned. It was five til 9 and there wasn't a single other student in the room. Had she missed a school holiday? Was it some sort of University wide skip day? She shrugged her book bag off and set it beside her desk, glancing toward the wall of windows. There were a few students making their way down the sidewalks, hurrying to the buildings. Sakura sat down, glanced up at the clock and wondered if she'd be the only one in class today. That would be interesting and her imagination wasted no time conjuring fantasies for her.

Behind her, the door opened and a few of her classmates strolled in, sinking down into their desks as if they were being forced at gunpoint to attend. Sakura frowned. She was beginning to like the idea of being alone in a classroom with Kakashi. A boy behind her mumbled a complaint about getting their midterm test grades and Sakura bit her lip to hide her smile. She had completely forgotten he would be handing them back today, though she knew her grade already. For the next ten minutes, she listened to them complain about the tests.

"He's an asshole." One of the girls said. Sakura had to concentrate to hear but she could almost recognize her as the one who had been whispering behind her back in lab. She opened her notebook and hoped they thought she was concentrating on something aside from listening to their gossip. "Like, I went to his office just to ask if there was anyway I could possibly bring up my grade and he shut the door right in my face. He's a fucking dick." Sakura's jaw clenched and she stared down at the blue lines of her notebook page. They blurred before her as she strained her ears and curled her pencil tightly in her fist.

"You mean, you offered to blow him for a higher grade and he shut the door in your face." A guy closer to the front of the room laughed, high fiving one of his friends. The girl didn't deny it and Sakura wanted to turn around and slap all of them. She stayed in her seat, fuming as she ground the tip of her pencil into the corner of her page.

"Well, I did mention I would be willing to do anything." The girl said in a sing song voice before adding, "He's probably fucking gay."

Sakura's fist clenched around the pencil so tightly the wood snapped, the sound echoing around the suddenly quiet room. She opened her palm and stared down at the two splintered pieces. The conversations behind her had come to an abrupt halt and she could feel each one of their stares on the back of her head. With a deep breath, Sakura stood and made her way to the trash can beside Professor Hatake's desk and dumped the broken pencil into the bag. She ignored the looks they gave her and slid back into her seat, quickly pulling a pen from her backpack.

Before they could start up their ridiculous conversation again, the door swung open and Professor Hatake made his way in, dropping his handful of papers on the desk before setting his worn and faded satchel down at his feet. He glanced up at the class, his eyes briefly flickering over Sakura's face before he pulled at the rubber band keeping their tests together and tossed it into the trash. "Sato." He said sharply, holding a few folded papers up in his hand. One of the boys from the back of the class made his way down the steps and took his test, sighing heavily as he looked at the grade. Sakura waited patiently, her entire body trembling in anticipation for the moment he would say her name.

But, he didn't. She watched him take two steps toward her with her breath held, test held out for her to take before he moved onto the next name. Her fingers were shaking as she opened the front of her test. The grade was still the same as he had told her the week before and she was still annoyed that she had known it all but one single question. "I'd like these back by the end of class." He took his place behind the desk and switched on the computer. "We're going to do something a bit different today. I've got some paperwork I need to finish so you're going to watch a video."

Whether he heard the sighs of annoyance from the back of the class or not, Sakura couldn't tell. He grabbed a remote to roll the projection screen down in front of the marker board and turned to the computer screen. Sakura frowned and closed her notebook with a soft thump, hesitating before stuffing it down into her backpack. She knew better than to assume he'd show them a video for no reason.. There'd most likely be questions on their test from it. She opened the notebook and flipped to a blank page, writing the date at the top. It wasn't long before the video was playing and Kakashi pulled some work out of his briefcase.

She managed to write two lines of notes before her mind began to wander far from Protein Synthesis and she caught herself glancing to him more than once. His head was bent over the papers he was writing on but he still managed to look composed and intimidating. She was thankful she sat on the front row where no one could see her staring to the corner where he sat and not at the screen. She figured most of the ones behind her would be asleep by now anyway. The anger she had felt earlier was still sizzling beneath the surface and the urge to slap that girl hadn't completely faded either. But, she was distracted by his presence and thankful that the lights were dim enough that she could watch him without fear of being caught.

It seemed like so long ago that she had tripped over his feet on the first day of class and how bold she had been to him. That look he had given her had been so intense that it nearly made her speechless and even now, thinking back on it made her swallow hard. The brief conversation the first time he came into the coffee shop, the night at Ino's party, and having him near her as he walked her home...all of the little moments they had shared together swirled through her head, and she tried to remember every detail about each one of them. She could remember what he had worn the first day of school, how amazing he had smelled the day she had went to talk to him in his office, and how badly she had wanted him to move his hands up her thighs in his car...Sakura closed her eyes and breathed deep through her nose, her body responding quickly to thoughts of his touch.

Despite the thick sweater she had on, her nipples grew stiff and rubbed against the inside of her bra. She crossed her arms over her chest, the weight of her arms across her nipples making her nearly gasp and her eyes snapped open to the screen where a man was explaining a model of RNA. The hair on the back of her neck stood and she quickly glanced to her left out of the corner of her eyes. His head was still bent toward the papers, but he was looking at her through a curtain of silver. Sakura bit her lip hard, unable to look away. She didn't know if he could see how turned on she was or the way she couldn't quite sit still in her chair. And with him looking at her like he was, she didn't think she'd be able to concentrate on anything else. Even with the rest of the class behind her, she couldn't help being aroused.

Kakashi's jaw clenched and he swallowed, the pen held tightly in his hands but made no move over his paperwork. He seemed to be relatively hidden behind the computer screen from the other students. The closest person to Sakura was two desks back and she was pretty sure she could hear snoring from the boy who sat there. Unfolding her arms, she let her hands fall to her lap and uncrossed her legs in front of her parting them just enough for him to notice. His eyes slid along the length of her body and she felt the heat from his gaze pour over her. Oh, how agonizing it was to be this turned on and unable to do anything about it.

Sakura moved her hand, slipping it between her thighs so slowly she nearly gasped as she found the heat between her legs. Her lips parted and she met his gaze once more, her breath growing ragged. She pressed a finger against her jeans that were tight against her, the sudden sensation spreading fast and intense over her body and she let her eyes close. She wished she were alone, sitting before him, showing him exactly how she wanted him to touch her. She opened her eyes, meeting his stare that was dark and focused on her, and Sakura wondered if he was turned on as well.

She wanted to be the one to crawl beneath his desk, to pull him free from his pants and show him just how badly she wanted him. The craving to have her lips and tongue on his body was becoming unbearable and she sucked in a sharp breath. From behind her, someone coughed and she felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She quickly put her hands on her desk and stared down at her notebook. How could she possibly begin to explain herself if anyone asked her what the hell she was doing. God, she could even smell how turned on she was. She slipped out of her seat and hurried to the door, needing the sharp fumes of the chemicals in the hall to bring her out of whatever fog she had been in. Had she really just touched herself in front of him, in the middle of class?

Pushing a hand through her hair, she rushed across the hall to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She ran the water and splashed a bit across her face, gripping the sink as she tried to shake the humiliation away. The thought of anyone seeing her, anyone knowing that she'd be that turned on by a professor, was enough to make her want to try to escape out the bathroom window. She could just run away and leave her books behind. Did she even need them anyway? Out in the hall she could hear the murmur of voice passing by and recognized one as the girl who had been pissing her off before class. Had he let them go early? Had he sent them away so he could scold her for being so stupid? Her heart pounded and fingers shook as she twisted the lock and poked her head out into the hall. Sure enough, her classmates were making their way out of the building and going their separate ways outside. Which meant that Kakashi was now alone in the classroom.

Fuck.

What was she supposed to say to him? It seemed wrong to just slip back inside, grab her books and leave but how could she even look at him now? Would he expect her to talk to him? Then again, he was busy with his paperwork. It was possible he wouldn't even be there. She hoped he had went back to his office and she would be free from forcing herself to say something to him. What was there to say anyway? 'Sorry, you just turn me on so much I couldn't help but touch myself'?

She made her way back across the hallway, taking a deep, steadying breath before pushing the door open and slipping inside. The lights were still off and the screen paused on the credits of the video but Kakashi still sat at his desk, marking across the paper work he was finishing. His eyes lifted to her and Sakura gripped the door handle to keep herself from running away. He watched her walk down the steps to the front of the classroom. She tucked her hair behind her ear and closed her notebook, her cheeks growing pink at the two notes she had managed to take from the video. There was no way she could speak to him now. Her throat clenched tightly, refusing to let any words out.

She pushed her things into the backpack and zipped it up, quickly throwing it over her shoulder before turning toward the door. "Sakura." Kakashi called out softly, making her shiver. She turned on her heel and held her breath, her entire body begging her to close the distance between them. The look in his eyes was similar to the one he had in front of his house as his fingers pushed her hair behind her ear. It was one filled with desire and need and Sakura felt her knees go weak. She stepped toward him as he stood to his feet, his desk the only thing between them. Laughter from a nearby classroom made Kakashi glance toward the door and he cleared his throat. "I need your test back."

"Oh." She blinked and set her backpack on top of his desk, quickly pulling the test out from the middle of her notebook. She smoothed the wrinkled page before handing it back to him, her cheeks pink. Kakashi took it and set it back on the stack along with the others. "Pakkun says hi, by the way."

Sakura frowned and looked up at him in confusion. "Who?"

"My dog. The little one who seemed to like you a lot."

She grinned and slipped her bag back over her shoulders. The little dog in the blue sweater had been the reason Kakashi hadn't kissed her but she couldn't stay mad at something so adorable. "Well, tell him I said hello back. My cat was pretty pissed I had so much dog on me, actually." She tucked her hair behind her ear and pushed away any thoughts of her touching herself in front of him and the whole class. Maybe he hadn't noticed how hot she had gotten from him just staring at her and he was just being friendly to her. God, she didn't want him to be friendly. She wanted him to be rough and pull her hair and push her face into his desk as he fucked her from behind. Her face burned bright and she shook the image from her mind.

Kakashi chuckled and straightened the stack of papers on his desk. "Yeah, sorry about that. It's not every day they get to see a pretty girl. They tend to go a little crazy."

Pretty...The word echoed through her head and Sakura ducked her head to hide the stupid grin that she couldn't keep away from her face. "Oh, they think I'm pretty?" She couldn't help asking and the slight blush that crept over his cheeks made it so worth it. God, was there no limit to how adorable he could be? He was almost more adorable than he was sexy. It was so hard to resist him when he did things like this.

He nodded, chuckling a bit nervously as he realized he had been caught. "They do. Pretty girls like you are their weakness." He didn't know what he was doing to her and Sakura was silently screaming in her head. No, she was practically imploding on the inside. He thought she was pretty. Biting her lip, Sakura leaned closer to him, her hips pressing into the desk.

"What about you? Do you have any weaknesses?" Oh she was slipping into dangerous territory now but she couldn't help herself. It was as if just being near him was pulling out her dark, lustful side. The smile faded a bit from his lips and she feared that she had crossed a line he wasn't comfortable with. Flirting so shamelessly out in the open was surprisingly arousing and she didn't know how much was too much. All of her inhibitions disappeared when it came to him.

"I thought that was pretty obvious by now." His voice was low and as soft as velvet. Sakura felt a wave of heat roll through her body, settling deep inside her and she blinked slowly up at him. He grabbed his briefcase from the floor and slid his work inside, zipping it closed. He smirked at her, his eyes slipping down to her lips before he reached up to tuck the hair back behind her ear. His fingers lingered for a moment along her jaw bone before he stepped back and pulled the strap of his briefcase over his shoulder. "See you Wednesday, Sakura." He left her alone in the darkened classroom, staring after him. A few moments passed before she realized she was holding her face where he had touched and where she could still feel his warmth across her skin.


	13. Pretty

AN- Okay, so this chapter and the next gave me so much trouble. I knew what I wanted to happen but it was just a matter of getting there. Anyway, chapter 12 and 13 are a part I and part II...I could have posted them separately but they just go together. You'll see why. :D

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It was far too cold Wednesday morning to be walking to school and Sakura shivered against the wind that bit into her skin through her clothes. She hated that she didn't know how to drive and taking the University bus was out of the question. Her apartment was on the same block as a stop but the bus usually rolled around at 7:30 in the morning and she would rather be cold than give up precious sleep to make it on time. But, despite the fact that her fingertips had gone numb and she could see her breath with every puff of air, she felt good. She looked good, too.

Kakashi's words had echoed through her mind for the past two nights and she was going crazy fighting herself over whether to text him or not. She wanted to know more, needed to know what he really meant by 'his weakness should be obvious' by now. The answer she wanted was that she was his weakness but what did that mean? She had opened her text messages a dozen times to type a message, only to erase it immediately after. She was a coward, afraid that he wouldn't answer her back or worse, he'd ask her to stop messaging him. Each time she erased the message, she would throw the phone down and walk away. The last time, she had decided to distract herself with pulling her winter clothes from the back of her closet to keep herself from thinking about him. It hadn't worked. But, she had managed to plan a perfect outfit to wear to lab and she was feeling confident as she walked down the sidewalk toward campus.

The heels of her boots made sharp taps along the concrete and she focused on the sound, instead of wondering what he would think about her. She hated being the kind of girl who did everything for a man to notice and she had told herself several times that this time wasn't like that. She was dressing nicely because she wanted to. It just happened to be on a Wednesday when she knew he would see her. A mere coincidence and nothing more. But, she had chosen a pair of jeans that she had to squeeze her ass into and a black top with a scooping, low-cut neckline. It was such a contrast against her pale skin that she was sure would get him to notice her. Not that she was trying to do that.

One of the boys in her Bio-Chem class spotted her before she reached the building and he pulled the door open for her, his eyes focused on how much skin she was showing for such a cold day. The corner of her lips lifted in a smile as she thanked him and stepped into the warmth of the Science department. The hallway was filled with students making their way out of one of the classrooms and over the tops of their heads, Sakura could see a streak of silver hair. She took a deep breath and stepped around a girl with her arms full of books. Kakashi stood by the door to the lab office which she would have to pass in front of to make her way into the room. He was speaking to Shikamaru who was showing him something on a bright yellow piece of paper. It was the younger one that noticed her first and she felt her cheeks darken as his eyes went a bit wide and flickered down the length of her body. He cleared his throat and stepped aside as she made her way to the door, suddenly interested in the light fixture on the ceiling.

Her eyes lifted and met Kakashi's and in an instant, she felt as if she were floating. He watched her as she turned in front of him, his gaze never wavering from hers and Sakura felt herself melting beneath it. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she lifted the corner of her lips as she passed between his body and the door. "Good morning, Professor Hatake." She said softly before making her way to her usual spot. Her knees felt a bit shaky but she managed to keep herself standing as she dropped her books onto the table and slipped her coat off. It was a bit warmer in the lab than outside but not much and she bit her lip, hoping she wouldn't freeze to death before he noticed her. She pulled her hair to one side, risking a glance back at the door where he still stood, discussing something with Shikamaru.

Sakura hid her smile the best she could as she caught sight of Kakashi looking her way out of the corner of his eyes. Well, apparently he had noticed how she was dressed. She just hoped he couldn't tell how miserable she was physically. There was definitely a reason why these jeans were buried in the back of her closet for the past six months. She sat up straight and tossed her hair over her shoulder, managing to catch the attention of several pairs of eyes. The guy who had held the door open for her and a few others were glancing her way before speaking to each other in voices too low for her to hear. Crap. Not quite the attention she had been hoping for.

One of the guys smiled and gave her the typical nod hello and she smiled in return, hoping if she looked to be busy with her notes, he wouldn't try to communicate further. At the door, Shikamaru ducked in behind a sleepy looking girl and Kakashi pulled the door shut behind him.

"Alright, listen up." He said loudly to get the attention of the whole class. "Mr. Nara here has something he'd like to say." He nodded to the boy at his side and turned to take his papers out of the briefcase he carried around with him. Sakura tried to focus on Shikamaru but she couldn't help notice how Professor Hatake would briefly glance up at her. It sent a shiver across her spine each time and she almost reached for her coat.

Shikamaru gave a small sigh, as if the effort of speaking was too much for him, before holding up the same yellow flyer he had been discussing with Kakashi out in the hall. "The Biology Department is having a lecture in Auditorium D this thursday night. If you show up and stay for the lecture, then you might get a few points to go on your final." He turned and slapped the flyer against the marker board, securing it there with a magnet. "Oh, and there'll be snacks."

Someone's hand shot up on the other side of the class and Shikamaru sighed, a bit heavier this time before he pointed to the student to speak. "How will you know if we attend?"

"I'll be there." Kakashi said, raising his head and Sakura could hear a few whispered comments and giggles flitter from the girls behind her. It made her fingers curl tightly around the edge of her table and she took a deep breath to cam herself before the jealousy got her in trouble. "If you want your extra points, you'll make sure I know you've been there." He looked around at the other students, lingering on Sakura's face for a few seconds longer than the rest and she ducked her head. Her heart beat fast in her chest as she realized that there was no way she was missing an opportunity to see him outside of class. She just wondered if she should ask Ino to come along for support of if it would be better to go alone. It would be hard to bring her up to speed on what had happened and Sakura knew she would just tell her to flash him a nipple or something.

Maybe it would be best to go alone. At least then, she would be able to sneak away if she needed to. Sakura blinked as she realized the rest of the class was moving to gather their supplies for the lab and she had no idea what to even do. Shit. She followed the group and grabbed the same things, making sure to take a peek at one of the open lab books on her neighbors table. She quickly moved back to her seat and found the right page, reading over the instructions. She breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't anything difficult but she made sure to focus on the tasks and not get distracted by her thoughts or by how she could practically feel Kakashi looking at her every few minutes.

The experiment was easy and quick and she was already answering the questions in the lab workbook before anyone else was halfway finished. She frowned and bit the inside of her lip, wondering if she should slow down. As much as she was dying to hurry through so she could put her coat back on and possibly go home to change out of the jeans from hell, she did want to talk to Kakashi. And the only way to insure that no one suspected them of being more than student or teacher was to take her time and have a question for him after class. She worked excruciatingly slow, spending several minutes looking up the most in depth answers for the simple questions while the others finished up and left one by one.

She started on the last question just as a shadow passed over her desk and Sakura's pen slowed to a stop on her book. She glanced up and blinked at the face of the guy who had held the door open for her earlier. Crap. He still had made no effort to look away from her chest and she nervously tugged at the fabric of her shirt, pulling it up a bit. "Hey." He said with another head nod, his eyes finally meeting hers. "I'm Kaz."

"Oh...hey." She glanced around nervously, hoping no one could tell how uncomfortable she was. The guy seemed nice enough, and was cute, but definitely not her type. He leaned up against her table and she could see Professor Hatake behind him sitting at the front of the classroom, arms crossed over his chest with an amused smirk on his lips as he watched. She narrowed her eyes on him and he grinned, obviously amused. She pursed her lips to keep from laughing and she turned back to her lab book below her.

"You goin' to that lecture?" Kaz asked, pointing a thumb toward the flyer on the board. Sakura wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"Nah, I don't think so."

He opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by another person stepping up beside him. Kakashi put a hand on the guy's shoulder and guided him toward the door. "Why don't we let Ms. Haruno finish her work. You can ask her out on your own time." He said with a tight, forced smile. Kaz stammered a bit, obviously annoyed by being cocblocked by the Professor of the class but didn't protest much. He mumbled a quick "See you later" to Sakura before making his way out the door. Kakashi took a seat back at his desk as the last group of students laid their work down in front of him. He grabbed the papers and glanced up at Sakura who turned her attention back to her own lab book. She quickly answered the last question and straightened up her work space.

"So, you're not going to the lecture?" Kakashi asked her, a hint of amusement on his voice and Sakura glanced at him with a playful scowl. She shrugged a shoulder and hoped he couldn't tell how flustered she was just having him alone in the same room. Her fingers didn't seem to want to cooperate as she had a bit of trouble pulling the zipper closed on her backpack.

"I haven't decided yet." She said with a grunt, tugging at the little tab on the bag. It was stuck on a little slip of fabric and she sighed, cursing the zipper for being stubborn now of all times.

Laughter from the hallway made them both turn to look and Kakashi rose from his seat, stepping around the desk to make his way to help her. He took her bag from her hands and gave the zipper one good pull before it came free and slid closed. She wanted to say thanks but was having trouble thinking about anything other than how much she wanted him to touch her again. He was so close to her. All she would have to do is raise her hand just a bit and she'd be able to feel his fingers against hers. Their brief touches here and there gave her something to look forward to and though it wasn't exactly what she wanted, she was willing to take whatever she could get. He cleared his throat and leaned against her work table, his lips curling up in the corner.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you wanted to go with your new admirer or not."

"Definitely not." Sakura rolled her eyes and shook the hair from her face. "I've never even talked to that guy before today."

Kakashi didn't chuckle like she thought he would. His eyes were fixed on the few straggling students making their way to their next classes in the hall. He waited for them to pass by before he turned to look down at her, the look in his eyes making her stomach flutter wildly. She had never had someone look at her the way he did, like she was something strange he was trying to figure out. She didn't know why she liked it so much. "He stared at you the entire morning. But, then again, so did I."

Her stomach clenched at the softness of his voice and Sakura was thankful for the table behind her to keep her from sliding to the floor in a puddle. She looked up at him through her lashes, studying the curve of his bottom lip and how incredible kissable it looked. It was begging for her to take it between her teeth. A door slammed loudly in the hall and Sakura's gaze was broken as Kakashi turned his head toward the sound. She shook her head, cursing whoever had slammed the door with every dirty word she could think of and turned to hand him the work from her lab.

He went to reach for the paper but his fingers curled around her wrist instead and he pulled her close to him, their chests pressing gently together. Sakura sucked in a sharp breath and held it tightly, terrified, excited, and feeling as if she'd faint all at once. The tips of his fingers slowly slid along the inside of her wrist, dipping down into her palm before he took the paper from her. He ducked his head and brought his mouth against her ear. The entire world melted away from them. "You look very pretty today." Sakura closed her eyes as a chill rolled down her spine making her shiver. "I hope I see you tomorrow."

In an instant, she was alone again at the side of her table and her eyes snapped open. She clamped her mouth shut, unaware it had even fallen open. Kakashi busied himself at his desk, gathering all of their work and folding it the same way he did their tests as she tried to calm herself down. She took a shaking breath and looked at him, waiting for him to look up at her and wink playfully. He didn't though and Sakura knew he was teasing her again, the same way he had Monday, and the way he had in his car and the night he walked her home. She pursed her lips and moved to the door, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she strolled by and no matter how much she wanted to tell him that he would definitely be seeing her tomorrow, she kept her lips shut. But she knew that there would be no more teasing...If he didn't make a move the next time they were alone, then she would. Fuck the consequences.

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AN- Now...on to part II..


	14. Haunted

AN- And here's part II! I really hope you like this. I know the slow burn has been...slow and teasing so I hope this cools it down just a bit. Only a little bit. ;) Oh and Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers! Thanks sooooo much for all the reviews and follows! I love you all!

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Sakura's fingers were shaking around her water bottle but it wasn't because she was still cold from walking across the campus Thursday night. She was terrified of the moment she would see Kakashi, not sure if she'd be able to stop herself from running into his arms despite the room full of people. The lecture was a few minutes from starting and most of the people in attendance were moving from the snack table at the back of the auditorium to the rows of seats. She tapped her fingers on the bottom of the water bottle and looked from each of the passing faces, not finding any that seemed familiar. She had seen Shikamaru earlier but he had been busy helping the speaker set up his presentation and she didn't feel like she knew him well enough to follow him around while she waited for Kakashi.

Frowning, she glanced to the exits, wondering if she should just call it a loss and head back home. But, it would be such a waste. She had skipped her usual study day to spend it at home, picking out a perfect outfit, makeup and hair, as if this were their first date. Glancing down at herself, Sakura felt foolish in her pretty black dress and red sweater. It was definitely an intellectual look she was going for, but the dress was just short enough that her legs looked amazing and she had been hoping he would notice her again.

The lights high above her flickered a few times to let everyone know to take their seats. The crowd moved through the rows of seats and Sakura sighed. She followed behind them, picking a seat alone in the back, knowing if she came all this way and didn't at least learn something new, she'd be pissed. After everyone had settled into their seats, a woman walked across the stage, her high heels clicking across the wood planks as she made her way to the podium. She tapped on the microphone and smiled as she welcomed the audience to listen to Dr. Gai's presentation on gene suppression and how they would be incorporating his findings in the next semesters. Everyone clapped as she finished up and Sakura wondered how long she could sit there before she could duck out early and it not seem rude. Would anyone even notice if she did leave?

From her lap, she could feel her phone vibrate inside the pocket of her coat and she glanced around to make sure no one would be disturbed by the brightness of the screen. She was alone on the row of seats and she pulled her phone out, turning it over. The two letters 'KH' made her heart skip in her chest and she quickly opened the message as the speaker addressed the room with a booming, enthusiastic voice.

KH: You having fun?

Of course! I thought you'd be here though.

KH: I am here

Sakura sat up straight and scanned the numerous heads in front of her, not seeing a bit of silver amongst the crowd. Frowning, she turned her phone back over and started to ask him where he was sitting but was cut off by another of his messages.

KH: Turn around

The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she slowly turned around to scan the tables in the back of the room where the snacks were still sitting. A figure was leaning against the wall in the shadows and Sakura bit her bottom lip, a familiar heat pooling inside her. She turned back around and typed, the corner of her lips tugging into a smile.

If you're looking for a spare seat, I think there might be a few around me

KH: I'd rather you come back here

I came here to learn, Professor Hatake. I don't think I could hear very well from back there

KH: Well, I could always give you a private lecture about something infinitely more interesting than gene suppression.

How do you know that isn't infinitely interesting to me?

Sakura hid her giggle behind her hand and glanced over her shoulder to him. The glow from his screen lit his face and she could see him smiling at her message. The vibration in her hand pulled her back to her own device and she opened his message.

KH: I'm taking a wild guess. Come on. Let's go do something more fun

He didn't have to ask her twice. She stood and hurried to the end of the aisle, slipping her coat over her shoulders as she tiptoed up the ramp that led to the back of the room. Kakashi met her at the door, that smirk she had come to adore on his lips, just asking her to kiss it away. He had a plastic container under one arm and two water bottles in the other. Biting her lip, she ducked out of the door as he quietly opened it and they slipped out before the lecturer could even make it to the second slide of his presentation. "Did you just steal the food?" She asked, pointing to the box of various snacks he had snatched. He shrugged and gave her one of the bottles of water.

"I'm hungry."

Out in the lobby of the auditorium, Sakura took a deep breath and turned to face her professor. He was looking every bit delicious as he usually did with a dark button up shirt, left open just enough at the top that she could see the pale skin that stretched below his throat. She figured he was going to lead her out the front doors but Kakashi gestured for her to follow him down the wide hallway that separated the two enormous auditoriums. She had been in them only during orientation and once to see a play Tenten had been in. Those times, she was sure, would pale in comparison to whatever happened tonight.

Kakashi held a finger to his lips and opened the door to the empty, vast room. The stage was covered by a thick, black curtain but the lights overhead were all on. The door clicked shut behind them and Sakura gave a small start as she whirled around to face him.

"You know, they say this building is haunted." He said quietly, making his way along behind the last row of seats. Sakura followed him, unable to hide the smile that played at her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to look down at his backside as he walked in front of her. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the stretch of muscles that she could see beneath the material of his shirt. She wanted to spread her fingers over them and walk them down each individual sinew. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly salivating at the thought of kissing along his shoulders and she forced her mind away from her fantasies. "You don't say?"

"Mm. Supposedly there's a man who haunts the balcony seats. They say he sits there and watches the plays and ceremonies."

"The afterlife must be pretty boring if he's resorting to hanging around here." Sakura folded her arms over her chest and followed Kakashi to the stage. She raised an eyebrow as he set the food that he had stolen down on it before turning to her. He shrugged and turned to look back at the dark balcony that overlooked the stage.

"I can see worse ways to spend eternity. At least he gets some entertainment." He turned to face her and Sakura was having a hard time thinking of anything to say. Under the soft glow of the lights overhead, his face was shadowed just enough that she couldn't read the look in his eyes and the knots in her stomach were twisting nervously. "So, what'll it be? Want to sit on the stage or in the seats?"

"For what?" Her eyebrows came together in confusion as she struggled to speak the words.

"For eating. I told you I'm starving." He tapped the lid to the container he had brought along and Sakura felt a nervous bubble of laughter well inside her throat. She definitely had a different kind of eating on her mind and she quickly shook the thought from her head.

"Well, I'll probably never get to step foot on this stage so let's eat there." Before the words were all the way out of her mouth, Kakashi nodded with a smirk and stepped toward her. He slipped his hands around her waist and Sakura sucked in a breath, holding it in as he pushed her gently toward the stage. With little effort, he lifted her off the floor and sat her along the edge of the platform and she barely managed to keep her legs together to keep from flashing him a nice view of her panties. He pushed himself up beside her and took a seat, letting his legs hang off the edge. Stunned that he had nearly put his arms around her, Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear and ducked her head to hide her crimson cheeks. If he noticed how flustered she was, he didn't show it. He opened the plastic box and offered it to her first. It had a little bit of everything that she had seen earlier and she glanced up at him, wondering how he had stashed so much away without anyone seeing.

She grabbed a couple of bite sized cakes and a cucumber sandwich that had been cut into small triangles before she smiled in thanks. She nibbled on the edge of the sandwich and wished that her pulse would slow back down to a normal rate. But her sides were still burning from his touch and she didn't think she'd be able to stomach very much food. "So, tell me." He started, grabbing a few baby carrots and celery sticks. "Why pre-med?"

Sakura shrugged and took a deep breath. "It's probably the only thing that I'm good at."

"Oh, I doubt that." He smirked around the tip of a carrot before biting into it. With a roll of her eyes, she smiled and shook her head.

"It's always came naturally to me. We had these classes in high school where we would learn basic first aid and CPR. I was good at it and just kept learning as much as I could. I'd love to work somewhere like the emergency department, be right in the thick of it all." She wished she had a better answer, something like she saved someone's life and a light shown down from the heavens as a sign that this was her calling. But, she just genuinely liked medicine and anatomy. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she glancing at him.

"So, the blood and gore doesn't bother you?"

"Nope. It takes a lot to gross me out." She scoffed. "Maybe some really gnarly toenails, but definitely not blood."

He nodded, seeming to be impressed with her answers. He sipped at his water and Sakura studied him for a moment. It was obvious he was trying to get to know her but she could also detect a hint of nervousness too, as if he were filling a void with conversation instead of doing something like kiss her. It was adorable that he was nervous and it made her feel a little bit better about the anxiety sitting heavy inside herself. "So, what about you? Why Chemistry?"

"I kind of just fell into it. I wasn't very thrilled about becoming a Professor but, it happened and it pays well enough."

"What did you want to do?"

"I did what I wanted to do." He looked at her, a sad smile on his mouth and Sakura felt a bit bad for bringing up what was obviously a touchy subject. "I was in the military for a while but I had to leave because my eyesight was starting to go bad."

"Oh." She chewed on the inside of her lip, thinking back to the first time she had seen him wearing reading glasses in his office. He had looked good in them and she remembered thinking that he looked human in them. There was nothing left of the hard, unpleasant person he had been in the beginning and Sakura was glad she had broke through that shell he had kept around himself. This person he was showing her now felt safe and comfortable and she couldn't help the swell of feelings inside her. It was easy having a crush on him and wanting him physically...that was nothing. But, actually liking him? That scared her more than actually making a move, now.

"But, that's all in the past and if I had never took this job, I would have missed out on meeting a lot of friends." He smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling just a bit and Sakura felt her stomach clench and a wave of emotions poured over her body. Oh yeah, she definitely liked him. To keep herself from saying something stupid, like actually telling him that she liked him, she plucked one of the tiny squares of cake from the box and popped it into her mouth. It was incredibly sweet but did little to distract her from the way he was looking at her. She took a gulp of her water and stared down at her lap, her fingers shaking as she tried to tighten the lid back over the bottle.

Kakashi slid closer to her, pushing the box of treats behind them and Sakura felt her entire body freeze. She blinked up at him as he reached over and curled his fingers under her chin, using his thumb to wipe something away from her bottom lip. It was just a brief second, barely anything but Sakura closed her eyes, her body reacting on it's own. She leaned forward, closing her lips around his thumb, the sound of his gasp fueling the heat coursing through her. She could taste a bit of frosting on the tip of his finger as she sucked and ran her tongue slowly around it. Her eyes opened slowly and the fire behind his gaze startled her. For a moment, she didn't know if she should apologize and she blushed, suddenly ashamed for doing something so brazen.

Sakura turned away from him and tried to find her voice to apologize but was stopped by the feel of his hand circling around her jaw to pull her back toward him. Her heart pounded so hard beneath her chest, she felt faint and the warmth of his touch fluttering around the back of her head did little to stop the swimming in her head. His fingers curled around the hair at the nape of her neck a bit painfully but she didn't dare say a word, afraid he might stop if she did. Kakashi's breath was fast as he brought her crushing against him, his eyes glancing to her lips and Sakura felt herself whimper helplessly. He pressed his mouth against hers, kissing her hungrily as if he were dying of thirst and she were a fountain.

Her hands were slow to react but she quickly pushed them up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck, never wanting to let go. He tasted better than she had ever dreamed and the feel of his tongue slipping past her lips made her moan against his mouth. Kakashi slipped his hand around her waist and lifted her from the side of the stage, pulling her into his lap with her legs on either side of his hips. She felt him move to grip her thighs, spreading his fingers as he pushed them under her skirt and dug them into the curve of her ass. Sakura gasped, pulling away from his lips. Kakashi kissed along her jaw down to her neck, nipping and gently sucking at the tender skin of her throat and she let her head fall back, loving every sensation he was giving her. The bruising grip of his hands, the slick feel of his lips and tongue along her neck, the arousal swirling hot and fierce through her entire body, it all became a delicious mixture that made her dizzy. She couldn't believe it was happening and that it was a thousand times better than what she had fantasized about.

She was faintly aware that her ass was exposed as he ran his hand up her spine, her skirt gathering in his grip and for a second, she was scared he was trying to undress her. But, he found her hair once more, sinking his fingers into the pink strands and guided her mouth back over his. Their kiss was gentler this time, slow and teasing, his lips barely pressing into hers. A whimper sounded from the back of her throat and she grasped the front of his shirt in her fists. Between her legs, she could feel his hardness pressing into her. It both thrilled her and made her realize how easily it would be to fuck him right now.

Her entire body froze and she blinked her eyes open as she pulled away from him a bit. He seemed to sense her hesitation and he looked up at her, his breath ragged. He smoothed the hair on either side of her head down and leaned his forehead against her jaw as she sat back on his lap. "I'm sorry." He breathed and she shook her head.

"Don't be. I've wanted that for a while now."

"So have I. But, I shouldn't have. I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you." He guided her off of his lap, his hands gentle and soft and Sakura found herself longing for the rough, bruising way he had grabbed her earlier. She smoothed her skirt down as she sat, picking up the napkin she had used to hold her food. "I don't think that at all."

They didn't say anything else. Kakashi grabbed the box behind her and took her trash and half empty water bottle. He sighed, rubbing a palm down his face before he slid off the edge of the stage and back onto the floor. As easily as he had lifted her, he helped her get back down and Sakura held onto his arms, desperate not to let go. She wanted to tell him that it was alright, that she wasn't going to run to the administration and accuse him of anything but she didn't know how to reassure him. He took his hands from her waist but didn't let her go. He hugged her close and she laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat slowing to a steady speed.

Sakura didn't know it was possible to feel this safe in someone's arms before but she held onto him tightly. Too soon, he pulled away and smiled sweetly to her, tucking her hair behind her ear. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his touch across her jaw. "You should leave first." He said quietly, making her look up at him with her brows knit. "It'll look suspicious if we both leave at the same time."

The sadness in his voice broke her heart but no matter how badly she wanted to say 'fuck everyone else', she nodded and grabbed her coat from the stage floor. She slipped it over her shoulders and stood before him, awkward and not knowing what to say. She wanted to tell him that she'd never tell anyone, that their secret was safe, but she didn't want this to be the end. There was so much more to explore and she could still taste how much he wanted to give in on her lips. With a reassuring smile, she straightened the collar of his shirt and stepped back. "I'll see you Monday." She said, hoping he could see how much she would miss him.

She turned and hurried across the auditorium, glancing back at him as she hesitated at the door. He watched her go, the look on his face unreadable and Sakura sighed before letting the door shut behind her with a click.


	15. Crush

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Working on a Sunday afternoon was usually enjoyable but for some reason, today was absolute hell. Sakura's feet were killing her two hours into her shift since she had stupidly thought today would be a perfect time to break in new shoes and if she had to explain an item on the menu to another customer, she was going to scream. There were no seats available in the cafe and some random guy had thought it would be a brilliant idea to bring his guitar and give people an impromptu acoustic session in the back. Despite the fact that he wasn't that good, he still had an audience of girls who sat on the edge of their seat to listen to his whiney songs. After watching him attempt to figure out what chord his song was supposed to be in for a few minutes, Sakura rolled her eyes and searched for a napkin to stuff bits of it into her ears for the rest of her shift. She turned to her coworker at the espresso machine and balled her fingers into fists before leaning over the counter next to it.

"I'm gonna smash that thing over his head if he messes up one more time." She growled to Tenten as she concentrated on filling a rather picky customer's espresso order. The brunette glanced over her shoulder to the wailing man across the room and shook her head as she secured the lid on the three cups. She handed them off to the customer and both girls sighed in relief as they had a free minute to just sit and rest. Both of them were exhausted already and sick of the pretentious hipsters who demanded soy everything, though Sakura was sure half of them had no idea what soy even was.

"He was in here Friday too. Set up a tip jar and everything." Tenten leaned over the counter with a yawn and put her chin in her hands, closing her eyes while they weren't being bothered by rude customers placing obnoxious orders. "He's not even that good." She mumbled and Sakura wondered if she was falling asleep right there on the front counter. She knew the girl had been pretty busy with her school work lately, staying up nearly all night to finish papers and trying to learn lines for her production of some Shakespeare play coming up. Not to mention, she had been pulling extra shifts whenever she could to make extra money. If anyone deserved a nap, it was Tenten.

Sakura didn't say much else and leaned against the counter, looking out over the tables that had been pushed together and chairs turned toward the back of the room. She sighed, blowing a strand of hair from her face. The place was a wreck and with people still lingering about, chatting and destroying the books and magazines with no regard to whoever had to clean it up, there was nothing that could be done about it until the crowd began to thin out. In the meantime, she turned to the coffee canisters along the wall and began to fill them back up. Sakura couldn't wait for the moment 4 o'clock rolled around.

Not that she had any real plans after work but she was dying to get back home, pull on some comfy pajamas and think about what had happened between her and Kakashi thursday night.. She still didn't know if she had processed it all or if she would ever be able to. She was still shaking from it, 3 days later. He had kissed her. It didn't seem real and she had woken up the next morning, wondering if it had all been a dream. No. It had definitely happened. His hands had been tangled in her hair, his finger tips had slid over the still tingling flesh of her thighs and pressed bruises into her hips. Each time she thought about how amazing it was, a dark desire seemed to fill her completely and made her head swim as if she were high on whatever drug he had given her with his kiss.

"Excuse me." A quiet voice behind her made her start and the bag of coffee grinds slipped from her hands, spilling black bits all over her new shoes and the floor. Sakura whirled around to see a very apologetic Iruka standing at the counter and she blinked in surprise. She was a little disappointed he was alone but she quickly cleared her throat to wake her coworker. Tenten's head was still leaning into her hand and she was snoring lightly despite the chorus in the back of the dining area that had started singing along to whatever the guy was playing on his guitar. Covered in grounds that were slipping into her socks, Sakura kicked her foot out and slammed it into the stool leg her coworker was sitting in.

The stool nearly toppled out from under Tenten and her head shot up as her palm slapped against the counter top. "I'm awake!" She shouted sleepily, finally noticing the man standing in front of her. "Oh! I'm so sorry...What can I get you?" She smoothed her hair back and straightened the apron around her waist as Sakura recalled how Ten had mentioned how hot she had thought Iruka had been the day he had come in with Kakashi. He was looking quite cute tonight, with a dark coat and gray scarf wrapped loosely around his throat.

Iruka glanced between the two girls, his smile sweet but a bit embarrassed as if he didn't really have a reason to be there. "I just wanted to pop in and say hello." He eyed the strange concert going on in the back for a moment. "But, now that I'm here, I'll take a cup of coffee. How have you been?" He asked them both and Sakura opened her mouth to answer but was quickly cut off by Tenten.

"We're great." She beamed, taking his money as she punched his order into the register's computer. As she turned to fill his order, Sakura cleaned up the mess she had made, dumping the coffee grounds into the trash bin behind the counter. Tenten poured his coffee and shook a strand of hair from her eyes, glancing back at him from over her shoulder. It was quite clear to Sakura that her friend liked Iruka.

"I actually had to escape for a while. Your friend just bought a new karaoke machine and it's a bit loud." Iruka wrinkled his nose as Ten and Sakura both looked at each other, struggling to hide the laughter behind their lips. The thought of Ino singing was enough to make them laugh but the fact that she had actually gone out to get a machine with a microphone was hilarious. Ino couldn't carry a tune in a bucket to save her life and Sakura could only imagine the sounds of a dying animal coming from the wall he shared with her. "But, I can't say it's much better here." He poked a thumb toward the crowd and Sakura rolled her eyes as the song shifted to something everyone felt compelled to clap along to. Didn't these people have anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon?

"You mean, you don't like to hear a guy sing songs that came out a decade ago while being off-key?" Ten asked, smiling sweetly to Iruka as she leaned into the counter and handed him his cup. He took it from her and the corner of his lips lifted as if he finally noticed that Tenten was flirting with him. Sakura folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes on the two of them. Ino had said he had a girlfriend the night of her party but, if he did, she had never seen her and he was alone now.

"Well, at least there's a better view here than staring at the same four walls." Iruka said playfully before taking a sip of his drink. It was clear by his tone that if he had a girlfriend, she was no longer in the picture. Sakura's eyebrows shot up and she glanced between the two, surprised that they looked so smitten with each other.. She knew her friend had been single for nearly a year after a pretty nasty break up with her high school boyfriend and she was definitely in need of some romance in her life. And judging by the blush across her cheeks, Tenten was definitely enjoying the bit of flirting they had going on. Clearing her throat, she looked at the clock on the wall behind them. It was only ten minutes until her shift ended and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I think I'm gonna duck out a bit early today," She said as she leaned against the muffin case, glancing at the man across the counter from her. "But, maybe Iruka would be able to keep you company for a while?"

He smiled and glanced back at the guy strumming the guitar and wailing about a girl with yellow hair. "Yeah, I could. I wouldn't want you to have to listen to this all day by yourself." Judging by the grin on both of their faces, Sakura was satisfied that her little matchmaking tactic had worked. She was definitely going to get the details from her friend later, but for now, she was dying to take these shoes off and wash the ground bits of coffee beans out of them. Her apron was off before she had even walked through the back door and she tossed it under the counter as she grabbed her phone.

The screen lit up as she pressed the button on the side and her heart skipped several beats. Two messages were waiting for her, one from Ino that said 'Got my karaoke machine! Let's party tonight!' and the other from someone she hadn't really expected to hear from for a few more days.

KH: Hey

It had been sent not even half an hour ago and she slipped one arm into her jacket before pausing at the kitchen door to message him back.

Sorry, I've been at work.

Off now though :)

KH: I figured. Thought about stopping by but didn't want to bother you.

It wouldn't have been a bother at all

She hurried out the front door of the cafe, pausing briefly to say goodbye to the new friends who were already immersed in a conversation and barely mumbled a response. Shaking her head, she pulled her coat tight and headed down the sidewalk to her apartment. The wind nipped at her cheeks and hands as she shivered and pulled her phone back out.

What are you up to?

KH: Hmm, supposed to be doing a quick inventory of the lab supplies but I've been procrastinating

Oh. Are you on campus?

KH: Yep.

Sakura's steps faltered and she looked up toward the street. Several blocks away she could see the tops of the familiar university buildings and the hair along her forearms stood, skin tingling at the thought of Kakashi being so close. The pain in her feet reminded her that she needed to clean her shoes out and possibly throw them in the back of her closet never to see the light of day but she didn't move. Would he be irritated if she came by to see him? Would he think she only wanted one thing? She hoped he would want it as well. It was all she could think about and her lips still begged to have the taste of his kiss one more time. She ignored the voice in the back of her head that was telling her this was a bad idea and messaged him.

Need any help?

KH: Possibly…

Is that a yes?

KH: Are you sure you wouldn't mind?

She had to stop herself from typing 'hell no' and instead took in a deep breath of the cold air, thankful for the crisp burn to her lungs to bring her back down to reality. Her fingers still trembled a bit as she tapped at the keyboard and told him she would be there soon. The walk to the campus wasn't a long one from the cafe but in shoes that were dirty and possibly half a size too small, it was hell. She stopped for a moment to dust them off along with her socks and once they were a bit cleaner she felt better in them. Another block and she could see the fountain at the front of the campus beyond the parking lot, where she had first seen Kakashi. The memory still made her face burn but she couldn't hide her smile as she passed by.

There wasn't a single person aside from herself on this side of the university, and she was thankful. Just in case she bumped into someone she knew, Sakura rehearsed a lie in her head about needing to finish a paper in the library but stopped by the science department to question an assignment first. Professor Hatake being there would just be a coincidence. Thankfully, there was no one around and she was at the glass double doors before she had time to fully prepare for being alone with him again. Her fingers hesitated on the handle and she knew she must have looked absolutely mad, standing there as if she didn't know how to open the door but her body was too nervous to function.

The last time they had been alone, it had been so wonderful and everything she had been dreaming of the entire semester. But, it had scared her how far she had been willing to let it go. She had made so many mistakes with Sasuke, letting him take too much of her before she had time to even decide she was ready that it made her wary about it happening again. The thought of regretting ever being with Kakashi made fear sink heavy inside her and she let her hand fall to her side. It wasn't too late to change her mind, the sensible voice in her head reminded her.

And as if answering her hesitation, the look that he had given her the last time they were together as he wound his fingers through her hair flashed in her mind and she felt a familiar warmth pool inside her, drowning the fear and doubt. With Sasuke, she had been weak and blinded by the countless daydreams and fantasies. She refused to let the what-if's get to her. She grabbed the handle of the door without a glance back and pulled it open. Inside was warmer but the chill held tight to her fingers and face and she blinked at the empty, dim hallway. The only light came from the lab door and she swallowed down the remaining fear that snaked its way into her throat. She tried to muster the confidence she had felt the last day she had walked down this hall, with her boots and tight jeans and all the stares she had gotten. It was hard to feel that way now when she smelled of roasted coffee beans and probably looked as if she had pulled a 12 hour shift.

Standing beside the door, she poked her head in and could see a pair of legs inside the lab office across the room, ankles crossed and propped up on a chair. She smoothed her hair back and slowly made her way into the room, watching as the rest of his body came into view. He was leaned back in a rolling chair, his face hidden by a bright orange, open book she had seen him reading the first day of class. And just like that morning when she had tripped over his feet, his eyes lifted over the top of the pages and the scarred eyebrow raised as he looked up at her. Sakura leaned a shoulder against the frame of the office door and looked around at the narrow room. Along the opposite wall, there were built in shelves and behind Kakashi was a small, rather cluttered workspace. On the floor were boxes labeled with different equipment pieces and by the looks of it, he hadn't lifted a finger to do a single thing.

"Have you just been reading the whole time?"

"No." He lowered his legs to the floor and closed the book, setting it on the counter that ran along one wall behind him. "I stopped reading to get me a cup of coffee earlier." He smiled sweetly to her now and she had to look away to keep herself from either melting into a puddle on the floor or jumping into his lap.

Sakura shrugged out of her coat and tossed it over the back of the chair he had been using to prop his feet on. She gathered her coffee scented hair into a ponytail and nodded as she looked down at the stacks of boxes on the floor. "Well, let's get to work."

"Hmm." He stood to his full height, towering over Sakura. In the limited space of the office, he seemed bigger to her and she felt herself take a small step back, pressing into the door behind her. Kakashi looked down at the boxes and stuffed his hands into his pockets. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't really want to do much work. "I probably shouldn't have put this off for the past two months."

"You think?" Sakura grinned as she pushed the sleeves of her shirt up to her elbows before dropping to the floor with her legs crossed beneath her. She pulled a box across the tiles to her and checked the label on the side that read Beakers. Inside, the glass containers were neatly laid on their side with rolled up papers between each to keep them from getting chipped. She counted 12 and looked back up to the man standing behind her, unable to shake the feel of his gaze on the back of her head. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help?" Sakura patted the floor beside her and bit the inside of her lip as he lowered himself slowly across from her.

She put her hands on top of the box and waited for him to tell her just exactly what they were doing. It was clear that this was all new equipment and she had trouble believing he couldn't have done all this by himself. Warmth spread to her cheeks and she wondered if he had planned this somehow, as if it were all a ploy to get her alone with him in the tightly packed office. That would be absurd, though and she knew it was just her imagination running away from her again. 'Get a grip, girl..' She told herself before pushing the box closer to him.

"If you want, you can look on the shelves and tell me what needs to be restocked or what we're out of." He nodded toward the shelves along the wall as he pulled several other boxes toward him and opened the flaps on top. Sakura stood and dusted her bottom off before making her way around him to the stack of shelves in the corner. All sorts of instruments and tools sat along each one but there were several places with hardly anything. She called out what was missing and Kakashi quickly fished each thing out for her to restock. It was almost exactly how she and Tenten worked together in the cafe and it wasn't long before things were looking full again. Kakashi stood and lifted the half empty boxes from the floor. "I'll take these to the storage if you want to make sure we didn't miss anything."

Sakura nodded and watched him carry the remaining supplies out into the lab classroom, waiting for a moment before she turned and studied the work they had finished. It had taken half an hour at the most and as she stood alone in the office, the over-active wheels in her head turned once more. Now that they were finished, what would happen? She knew what she wanted to happen but after their kiss the other night, Kakashi had made it seem as if he couldn't let it happen again. She bit the side of her thumbnail, no longer concerned with the equipment supplies and she turned to the desk behind her where he had sat. Her head was bursting with so many questions that she was dying to ask him that it started to hurt. She had to get her mind off of things like kissing him and wanting him to touch her again.

With a sigh, she leaned against the counter and glanced down at the book he had set aside, her fingers resting close to the orange cover. The words Icha-Icha Violence were written across the front, making Sakura's eyebrow raise just a bit. Out in the lab room, she could hear him stacking boxes in the closet and her finger twitched toward the book. The front cover opened easily, as if it was a well worn copy. She pushed her finger in between the pages where Kakashi had a bookmark in the middle of the book and glanced down at a first passage.

Her eyes went wide, a blush spreading warmth across her face at the first sentence she came across. It was rather detailed and seemed to be an account of how a man had stumbled upon two women washing one another's hair in a river. The description of their naked, soapy bodies made Sakura put a hand to her mouth and she quickly shut the cover of the book and pushed it away.

He read porn? This was what he had been reading before she had walked in and she couldn't help but wonder if he had been turned on. Then again, the book had clearly been read a few dozen times by the looks of the wear to the outside. Did it even phase him anymore? Out in the lab room, the supply closet shut and Sakura jumped, biting her bottom lip to keep from giggling. The sadistic, cold professor she had been so afraid of at the start of the semester was nothing more than a goofy, dog loving, dorky pervert and she couldn't believe that this made her want him even more now.

Kakashi stepped back into the room and pushed his hands into his pockets, smiling over at her, having no clue that she knew he enjoyed erotica. Just the word in her head made a giggle bubble into her throat. "What's so funny?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Nothing," She shook her head and looked down at her feet to hide the crimson creeping up her face. "I just...never really understood why someone would want to devote their life to Chemistry. I mean, it's so straight-forward and there's hardly anything romantic about it." She couldn't help tease him and hoped he wouldn't be too upset that she had peeked into his private book. If he noticed what she was trying to hint at, he didn't show it and kept staring at her with his eyes half lidded. It made her stomach twist and a familiar aching heat spread over her body. Sakura gripped the counter behind her to keep her still.

"Chemistry is romantic." He said, making her scoff.

"Really? I don't know. Elements and chemical equations just don't really turn me on." She swallowed and pursed her lips to keep from grinning and Kakashi shrugged a shoulder before taking a step closer to her.

"You're not looking at it the right way."

"Is there another way to look at something like Hydrogen atoms?"

He was close enough now that she could feel the heat of his body and Sakura felt cornered by him at the back of the office. She had started this little game to tease him but suddenly, she didn't feel like talking about his choice in books anymore. The air between them was charged with static and Kakashi's gaze moved from her eyes to her lips making her swallow.

"Did you know that the elements in our body came from the stars?" His voice made her heart race and she gave him a tiny shake of her head, all desire to tease him smothered by the hunger she was feeling for him. "The Iron in our blood," The touch of his fingers on her wrist sent shivers across her body and she watched as he lifted her hand between them. "The calcium in our bones," The tip of his middle finger slid down her palm and over the sensitive flesh around her wrist and Sakura's lips parted as she gave a tiny gasp at his touch. "It was all formed in the heart of dying stars that existed billions of years ago."

His breath across her face was warm and sweet and she felt drunk from it. The tension between them that filled the entire room was so intense that Sakura feared it would drive her crazy. She glanced up from his fingers dancing across her hand to his lips, watching in a daze as he pressed her even closer to the counter. Her knees felt weak and she found herself reaching for him to keep steady.

"And for thousands of millennia, they waited until they came together to create you and I." Kakashi slid his hand along her jaw, pushing her head back gently as his thumb caressed the swell of her bottom lip, pulling them apart. She held her breath, her fingers gripping the front of his shirt tightly as he smirked wickedly. Oh, he was cruel! He was teasing her! Sakura made a little moan in the back of her throat, feeling as if he were torturing her. The feeling between her legs was close to becoming painful and she pressed closer to him.

"You're teasing me." She whispered, her gaze meeting his. She could see he was aching just as badly as she was despite the smirk still on the corner of his lips. Kakashi reached behind her head and pulled at the band holding her hair back until it fell down her shoulders. He found his grip at the back of her neck, using the handful of her hair to force her head back.

"You started it." The touch of his lips on hers made the tension in Sakura's fingers fade and she relaxed into him, letting him hold her against his chest. He kissed her softly, barely at all and no matter how much she was begging him to grab her and kiss her until she went mad, he didn't. Couldn't he taste the hunger on her lips? Did he not want her as badly as she wanted him? His fingers moved from her arms to her ribs and down to her hips, his touch so different than the bruises he had given her the last time. Sakura whimpered against his mouth, not sure whether to push him further or not. She didn't want to force him into something he didn't want but god, she was dying for more.

She could feel herself growing wet and her body begged her to open her legs and pull him close to her. As if he read her mind, Kakashi lifted her from the floor and pushed her back along the counter, pulling her legs apart so that he could fit between them. She gasped for a breath but was stopped by a more eager press of his lips. He kissed her and she lost any control she had left over herself. Her hands dipped between them, pulling at the hem of his shirt so she could slip her hands beneath. The feel of his muscles surprised her and she raked her nails over his skin until she found the buckle of his belt. Kakashi grabbed her hips, pulling her hard against him and she could feel how hard he was through his jeans. It didn't scare her as it had the last time and she pulled his belt free from the buckle, her fingers slipping beneath.

"Sakura." He murmured against her lips and she shook her head, not wanting to hear him say this was wrong or that he didn't want to take advantage of her. She waited for him to stop her but he didn't and her fingers trembled as she pulled the button of his jeans free. Doubt and uncertainty flashed through her mind as she realized she truly had no idea what she was doing but the desire to know how he felt in her hands was too strong to make her stop. Kakashi sighed against her neck as she slid her hand lower, her fingers gently circling around his cock. It was warm and thick in her grasp and her eyes went wide at the feel of him.

She pulled him free from his boxers and circled her thumb over the his tip, making him shudder against her. Sakura couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips and she curled her hand around him, pushing it down his length and slowly bringing it back up. The feel of his fingers tightening around her hair made her breath quicken and she repeated the same movement as before. She pressed a kiss to his neck as he rest his forehead against her shoulder, his breath hot and fast.

The sound of the door opening in the hallway made her freeze, her mouth falling open in a gasp. Neither moved as whoever had come into the building whistled to themselves outside the lab as if they were in no hurry. A plastic bag rustled a few times and Sakura realized it must be the janitor making his rounds. What would he do if he found them? Terror gripped her tightly and she couldn't move. Kakashi didn't pull away, however, or tell her to stop and she watched as he reached over to push the door to the office shut so slowly that it didn't make a single sound. He turned the lock and Sakura realized her entire body was trembling without him against her. The fear of being caught made her heart pound mercilessly beneath her chest and she looked to Kakashi for what they should do.

But, he didn't tell her to be quiet or to stop touching him and the look in his eye as he turned back to her immediately soothed her worry. He pushed his fingers back into her hair and kissed her hungrily, his lips parting hers to make room for his tongue. All fear of being caught melted away and she continued the rhythm, keeping her grip gentle but tight as she stroked him. Kakashi moaned softly against her mouth, slipping one hand beneath her shirt and around to her back. The clasp of her bra loosened and she gasped, pulling away from him so he could kiss his way down her throat.

She could hear the man outside make his way into the classroom now, the sound of him pulling the trash bags out of the can made her hesitate. He was so close to them, surely he'd be able to hear. Her heart beat so hard she felt dizzy and she started to pull away. "Don't stop." Kakashi begged against her ear, his voice barely a whisper but it was loud in Sakura's mind. She bit her lip, unsure of herself. Part of her knew how wrong this was and how horrible it would be to be caught but the rest of her demanded her not to stop. She found her grip again and pushed her hand over him, loving the way his body shuddered beneath her touch. His hand found her breast, slipping beneath her bra to drag a thumb over her tightened nipple and she arched into his touch. The feel of his cock growing harder in her grip made Sakura gasp and she moved faster. His hips thrust into her hand and he pressed his face into the crook of her neck to hide the quiet moans deep in his throat. She felt his body tense, his hands slipping from her breasts to grip the counter on either side of her hips as he bucked his hips. Sakura pulled him close, spreading her fingers over the back of his head.

He shuddered as he came, spilling his seed hot and wet into her hand. She blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the feel of it but she didn't move away from him. Several seconds passed before he pulled back, his face flushed and Sakura bit her lower lip. He shook his head, either embarrassed or ashamed and she quickly pressed a kiss against his mouth to tell him not to be. She hoped he could taste the delight on her lips. She put a finger to his lips and smiled as she pulled away. "Don't say you're sorry." Her whispered words made him hang his head with a grin and he nodded.

Kakashi quickly situated himself back into his boxers before grabbed a handful of paper towels from one of the shelves behind him. The blush across his cheeks as he cleaned her hand made her laugh and she hid her giggle behind pursed lips. She cast a glance to the locked door and nodded toward the lab. "Do you think he heard us?"

"I doubt it."

"How can you be sure? He might be out there listening to us now." She kept her voice low just in case but the smirk across his lips made her raise an eyebrow. He tossed the napkins in the trash beneath the desk and helped her to her feet. Before she could straighten her clothes, or flex her fingers, he looped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"He's deaf. I just didn't want him walking in on us." She blinked as he pressed a kiss to the middle of her forehead. The sudden swell of emotions in her chest made it hard to breath and she held onto him even after he pulled away from her. "I really hate doing this but I have to be somewhere in less than an hour." He dipped his head to meet her gaze and she felt her shoulders fall in disappointment.

"It's okay." She said, forcing a smile. She took a step back and tucked her hair behind her ear as he buttoned his pants and slipped his belt back into place. Memories of the morning after her first time with Sasuke came flooding back and she could see herself lying in his bed, watching him pull his pants on. The knot that had disappeared from her stomach found its way back again and she hugged her arms around herself, swallowing the anxiety back, not wanting him to see the worry across her face. No matter how disappointed she was that they couldn't continue, she would never want him to think she'd betray him and get him in trouble.

"Do you want me to drive you home?"

Sakura nodded, her smile genuine this time. She gathered her things and hoped that whatever she was feeling right now was the result of doing something as brazen as she had and not because she was falling for him. But, that couldn't happen. This was just a crush...right?

* * *

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AN- Uh oh...Sakura caught feelings. Also, wow, this came out of no where but I like it. I hope you did as well ;)


	16. Different

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* * *

Steam filled Sakura's tiny bathroom as she ran her a soothing, hot bath that had been calling her name since she had gotten home. She stood near the sink, staring at her hazy reflection as the water filled the tub and she let the sound of the bubbling water drown out the jumbled thoughts in her head. There were so many questions she had been asking herself since she had walked through the door an hour before that still had no answers. Most, if not all of them, had to do with the man who had driven her home.

She touched her lips, her cool fingertips a stark contrast to the warmth of her mouth. They were still a little bit swollen from spending thirty whole minutes kissing her professor in his car. He had parked in the empty parking lot behind from her apartment and once they were hidden behind the building, he had practically pulled Sakura into his lap and kissed her with a hunger that still had her toes curling. The steering wheel had been pressed so hard against her back though she hadn't even noticed. As long as his hands were against her hips, in her hair and his lips were on hers, she didn't care about anything. She ran the tip of her finger across her bottom lip, wondering if this high she was feeling would fade. The thrill and heat of it all ran rampant through her body even now.

She blinked at the sight of her nearly full tub and she quickly reached over to turn the faucet off. Stripping of her plush, purple robe, Sakura stepped into the water and sank into the heat. A little water poured over the edge but she ignored it and leaned her head back against the wall behind her. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, her fingers slowly moving through the water on either side of her as she tried to process everything that had happened. From the text message he had sent her, to being alone with him in the classroom and the things he had said to her...it was all too much and she was having trouble believing it had happened.

Her hands came to rest on her belly and she glanced down at her knees sticking up from the water. Everywhere on her body that he had touched tingled and she closed her eyes as she tried to remember each moment his hands had been on her. And the thought of her pushing her hand beneath his boxers, fingers curling around his length...God, just thinking about it was making her breathless again. How had it even happened? She couldn't remember. One second she was taking a peek at his dirty novel and the next, he was pushing her onto the counter and she was unbuckling his belt.

Work felt like a hundred years ago and she opened her eyes, glancing at the phone on the back of the toilet. Tenten had sent her a text while she had been in Kakashi's car but she had been far too nervous to even read a single word of it. She sat up and dried her hands on a towel before grabbing her phone.

 ** _Ten: So I've had an interesting afternoon_**

Sakura smirked and thought about texting her the exact same thing but decided against it. There was no way she could tell a single soul about how interesting her afternoon had been, even though she was dying to let her friends know that she was no longer so hung up on Sasuke. She quickly typed a response.

 _Oh?_

 ** _Ten: Yep! Iruka kept me company for about an hour after you left._**

 _So, you like him?_

 ** _Ten: Maybe. He's really cute but I'm not sure I really want anything serious right now_**

Who said anything about being serious? Aren't you and Ino always telling me to move on, live a little? ;)

Sakura settled back against the tub and set her phone back on the toilet, too distracted by her own thoughts to help Tenten with getting over a relationship that ended over a year ago. It reminded her too much of how she had felt about Sasuke, or how much time she had wasted trying to plan her days around the tiny chance he would see her. None of it had mattered in the end and it only pissed her off to dwell on. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes again, ignoring the buzz of her phone as thoughts of Kakashi came back into her mind.

She didn't want him to become another one of her obsessions but it was getting hard to think about anything else. At work, she was easily distracted by her duties and in other classes, she could usually concentrate on the work she needed to be doing...but any alone time, any chance for her mind to wander, it always came back to him. She thought about the little smirks he gave her, the times she had caught him looking at her in class, all of the things he would say to her that made her weak in the knees. It was torture trying to keep him out of her mind. Especially now that she knew what it felt like to kiss him and knew exactly what to imagine when she was alone in her bed at night.

If she let herself become too obsessed, too wrapped up in what existed in her fantasy, Sakura was afraid she'd do something to ruin it all. This wouldn't be like Sasuke. She wanted more from Kakashi than she ever had from Sasuke. With him, all she had been looking for was attention, for him to notice her. But, with Kakashi...she wanted to be consumed by him, wanted him to do so many things to her that she never imagined she would crave. It was different this time and though she couldn't explain how, she knew that she didn't want it to end anytime soon.

* * *

Kakashi shut the engine off but didn't step out of the car just yet. He rubbed a hand down his face and stared at the silver symbol on the steering wheel, his head full of so many different thoughts that it hurt to even try to make sense of them. Some of them he didn't even want to think about at all. His fingers gripped the wheel tightly and he took several deep breaths, trying not to think about how incredibly fucking stupid he was.

With a sigh, he glanced up through the windshield to Asuma's front door where his friends were waiting for him to arrive. Thankfully, they were used to his perpetual lateness and none of them would be too upset with him. Still, he worried about what he would possibly say if anyone asked why he was late. The truth was out of the question. How could he even begin to tell them what had truly kept him running behind?

But, he would know. It would be all that he could think about for the next few hours. It was hard to forget how incredible it had been to kiss her and feel her and have her touch him the way he had been dreaming about so much lately. Kakashi dropped his head onto the top of the steering wheel and took deep breaths, held them and counted down from ten as he exhaled to calm himself. It didn't help and he still felt as anxious and tense as he had the entire time she had been alone with him in the lab office.

He still wasn't exactly sure how it had happened. One minute he was thinking about procrastinating for another day and heading home and the next, his phone was in his hand and she was texting him back. It was as if he lost all of his common sense when it came to her and he still had no idea why.

She wasn't that special and if he was going to be honest, she annoyed him the first few class meetings. He had thought she would be just like the other girls who seemed to find him cute for whatever reason. They'd all pay extra attention to his lectures in the beginning of the semester, make it seem like his class was the most interesting thing they had ever experienced. But, their attitudes changed after the first exam came back and they realized being flirtatious and cute wouldn't get them a decent grade. It never failed to amuse him to witness the dramatic turn in their attitudes, their pretty outfits gone and replaced with ones that showed exactly how much they cared about Chemistry.

But, Sakura had been different, no matter how much he had tried to group her in with the others.

She had challenged his authority on her test and though he never had before, he had given in to her and even that little bit of resolve had felt good. He had wanted to please her, wanted to give in to her little demands just to see that look of surprise on her face and a smile. And every time she smiled at him after that had only made it harder for him to keep his distance from her. Each look she gave him out of the corner of her eye when she thought he wasn't looking, every time she would catch his gaze and her cheeks would grow pink, Kakashi could feel some sort of unseen force pushing him toward her.

He had tried to ignore it the first month, chalk it up to the fact that he had been single for far too long but the night she had stood on her friend's porch and talked to him, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. It was clear that she had been tipsy and he couldn't help thinking how easy it would have been to kiss her that night. He had wanted to when she told him to call her Sakura. Not kissing her everyday since then had been difficult. And now that he had kissed her, it was all he wanted to do.

Even after he had taken her home earlier, they had spent half an hour kissing in the front seat of his car. She had made him park behind in the lot behind the building and assured him there was only businesses that were closed for the Sunday afternoon. It had felt good to feel her hair in his fingers, to crush her against him and taste her on his tongue. Though, he had been dying to do more. It was the reason he was so late to his friend's dinner and he was sure they had already eaten by now.

He was only a little sorry for missing it but, judging by the amount of cars still parked on the street out front, he could see that he hadn't missed much else. Kakashi took the keys from the ignition and pocketed them before stepping out.

The street was quiet and dark as the evening crept on and the street light overhead flickered on. He made his way up the sidewalk and took another deep breath before pressing the doorbell, smiling at the sound of the laughter inside. The door swung open and Asuma scowled playfully down at him from the doorstep. "Almost didn't think you were coming." He said as he stepped aside and let Kakashi into the house.

It was much warmer inside and he smiled at the group of friends sitting around the living area. The focus was on the new baby sitting happily on Kurenai's lap and Kakashi took a spot next to Iruka toward the back of the room. He was handed a bottle of beer and he was thankful for the alcohol, hoping it would help take his mind off of a certain pink haired girl who occupied the majority of his thoughts. The conversation returned to where it had left off and he chimed in when spoken to but mostly kept his mouth shut.

After nearly an hour, Iruka handed him two empty bottles. "Wanna help me throw these out?" He asked, standing to his feet before heading toward the kitchen. Kakashi didn't see why he would need help throwing bottles away but shrugged and followed him. He tossed the trash into the can and turned toward his friend who leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed over his chest. He could tell by the look on his face that he had something serious on his mind.

Uh oh.

Kakashi glanced back into the living room but no one seemed to notice their absence with the baby making adorable cooing sounds. He stood across the island from him and raised an eyebrow. "Something bothering you?"

Iruka gave a short laugh and shrugged. "Not really, I just figured I'd tell you that I ran into your student today in the Village." A cold tingling sensation crept up Kakashi's spine and made its way over his scalp and he hoped he didn't look as shocked as he did. "You know, Sakura?" He nodded slowly, as if he hadn't just spent the past hour and a half alone with her, kissing her and doing things he definitely shouldn't have been doing.

"Yeah." His words came out strained and he crossed his arms, clearing his throat as Iruka chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"She's pretty cute."

"I hadn't noticed." He lied, hating the fact that Iruka had even looked at her like that and hating more that he was feeling jealous. The look he got from his friend was one of disbelief but he didn't call him out on it. Kakashi was thankful.

"I actually thought about asking her out."

Several seconds passed and with each one ticking by, Kakashi was aware that he had been quiet for far too long. But, the words were cemented onto the back of his tongue and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't say a thing. What could he say? He wanted to tell him that he couldn't, that she was involved with someone else but that wasn't true. He had no claim to her, no matter how badly he wanted her all to herself. Their brief encounters, no matter how much he wanted them to happen, were against the rules and he knew he couldn't truly be with her. But, that didn't stop the monstrous anger and jealousy that was swelling inside him. He wanted to slam his fist into the countertop, to tell him he couldn't have her, that she was his despite how wrong it was.

He swallowed hard and forced himself to speak. "Did you?"

"She didn't really give me a chance." Iruka chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "She kind of suggested I get to know her friend. You met her the day I met you there." He couldn't really recall. That day he had been so captivated by Sakura that there could have been a million people surrounding them and all he would have seen was her. He remembered a brunette but couldn't recall much else. He nodded anyway, breathing a bit easier knowing that Sakura hadn't given him a chance to ask her out.

He wanted to kiss her all over again now.

"Is she the same age?"

Iruka took a deep breath and sighed, his shoulders drooping a bit. "That's what I'm having trouble with. I mean, even Sakura felt a bit too young but, I just figured I'd give it a try. What do you think?" Kakashi's eyebrows lifted and he stepped around the island in the middle of the kitchen, not exactly sure what he thought. He had been too busy worrying about how horrible he was for possibly wanting to take advantage of his student that the age issue hadn't really bothered him. She was an adult, living on her own, providing for herself and it didn't seem to be that much of an issue. Especially compared to how wrong it was for a teacher to be involved with a student.

"I can't really answer that for you. If you aren't bothered by it, then it shouldn't be too much of a big deal…" He cleared his throat and glanced back to the living room where a round of laughter had broken out. "But, I mean, did you even like this other girl?" He hated the fact that he was so jealous of someone who he considered one of his oldest friends. It made him feel wretched and miserable.

"She's sweet and makes a damn good cup of coffee. I just don't know if I want a relationship right now." Iruka eyed him with a slight smirk. "You think I should give up on Sakura?"

"I don't know. She's…" He trailed off, not sure what he wanted to say. She was smart, gorgeous, funny but he couldn't tell him that. He didn't want Iruka wanting her even more than he possibly did already. "Different."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, you know?"

"What are you two hiding in here for?" Kurenai folded her arms over her chest as she came into the kitchen, eyeing them with her lips pursed. With a laugh, Iruka grabbed a bottle of beer from the box on the counter and tipped the cap toward the woman.

"Just giving our perpetually late friend the third degree about his where abouts." He popped the cap and took a sip as Kakashi eyed him, his pulse still racing from their conversation about Sakura. He hoped that he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt and that Iruka was clueless to _why_ he was uncomfortable around the mention of her name. He forced a smile and shrugged.

"I couldn't remember if we said five-thirty or six-thirty."

They both gave him a blank look. "So, that's why you showed up at seven?" Kurenai asked with a roll of her eyes as she opened the fridge and set a baby bottle down on the shelf. She ignored the shrug Kakashi gave her and grabbed a tray of cookies, balancing it on her palm as she reached for a few more drinks. Iruka took the tray from her and lead the way back into the living area where all their friends sat discussing the end of the semester approaching.

Only Kakashi stayed behind in the kitchen, staring down at the unopened beer in his hand, wishing he had gave them an excuse and skipped out on the whole night. He wondered if he would have been able to invite Sakura back to his house, if they'd be there now, continuing what they had started in the lab. No, he knew that he wouldn't have been that brave. There was still a very strong part of him that knew how wrong this was, and it never failed to remind him how horrible he was for letting it even get this far. But, despite the war in his head between his sensible side and the part of him that craved her, he couldn't ignore the very strange sensation burrowing deep in his chest, sitting so heavy it was hard to breathe. He missed her.

AN- So, they've both caught feeling, but will it work out when there's so much on the line? ;)


	17. Insecurities

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The chatter coming from the students toward the back of the classroom was giving Sakura a migraine and she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore their discussion of how much alcohol they had consumed on Saturday. Her nerves were already shot and having to listen to them describe keg stands and the phone numbers they had gotten was making the ache at the base of her skull magnify. In the corner, a few girls were playing a song from their cellphones while singing along to it in the spare minutes they had before Kakashi would walk through the classroom door.

Sakura couldn't wait for the silence he brought with him, although her stomach was twisted into hundreds of knots in anticipation of the moment she could see him again. If only she could have seen him outside of class beforehand to talk, maybe she would feel a bit better about everything. But, knowing what they had done not even 24 hours prior in the lab across the hall was making it hard for her to sit still in her seat. She hadn't even taken her notebook out of her backpack, too nervous to do anything but stare straight ahead and wait for the moment the door would swing open.

She shook the hair from her face and looked up at the clock ticking away above the board. It was only five til. It would be at least fifteen minutes before he would be in. She swallowed and glanced at the door to her right, wondering if she had time to go to the bathroom and splash some water on her face before. Her hands felt clammy as she gripped the side of her desk and pushed herself to her feet. Now that she was standing, she felt the nervousness hit full force and she moved toward the door on wobbling legs. None of the conversations halted behind her and she figured no one would even realize she was gone.

Out in the hallway, she took a deep breath and turned toward the bathroom, nearly colliding with someone making their way toward her. A pair of hands caught her by the elbows, steadying her and she blinked up at Kakashi's face with a gasp. His hands lingered on her for a brief moment but didn't feel so tight and urgent around her as they had the day before. He dropped them to his sides quickly and took a step back, putting a few feet between them. She could see how tight and forced his smile looked, as if he were just being polite and it made her stomach clench painfully. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly as he adjusted the strap of his briefcase. Sakura noticed how his eyes darted around her to the empty hallway.

"I'm fine. I just…" She stared at the small strip of skin below his throat that disappeared behind the buttons of his shirt, her lips begging to kiss him there. Clearing her throat, she nodded toward the door down the hall. "I was going to the bathroom."

"Oh. Actually, do you have a minute? To talk about…" He paused and Sakura felt her chest clench tightly, her eyes snapping back up to his. "Something." The way he said the word made it very clear that the something he wanted to talk about was what had happened the day before and judging by his tone...it wouldn't be good. She could only nod, her voice stuck in her throat, too terrified of what he could possibly want to say to utter a single syllable. He nodded and started off toward the stairway that lead to the third floor offices with Sakura following a few steps behind. By the time they had reached the steps and she had put her hand on the railing, her heart was racing so fast she couldn't see straight. A million thoughts flooded through her mind at once and she tried to pick out one thing at a time to concentrate on.

No matter how badly she wanted him to pull her close and kiss her once they were alone, she couldn't shake the feeling that kissing her was the last thing on his mind. Something about the look in his eyes, the nervousness in the few words they had exchanged told her that whatever he wanted to talk to her about wasn't what she would want to hear.

He hadn't looked back at her at all and she wanted to grab him by the elbow and force him to turn around to look at her. As they turned the corner, she reached out for him but couldn't bring herself to touch him. She grabbed the railing instead and pulled herself up behind him, feeling helpless and scared. She didn't want this to happen. She wanted him to want her just as much as he had the day before. But, there was no fire coming from him today, no enticing words whispered to her about the chemistry of the universe and as they stepped onto the third floor, she felt sick to her stomach.

Sakura hated the tightness in her chest and cursed the little voice in her head telling her this was just like Sasuke. She had given him what he wanted and now came the part where he would tell her he didn't want anything else from her. Instead of ignoring her for the next few months with meaningless text messages, at least he was getting it over with. She squared her shoulders as she stepped into his office, resisting the urge to gag on the horrible feeling rising from her stomach and watched him drop his brief case onto the desk.

"Sakura, about yesterday…" He sighed and rubbed his hand across his mouth, as if he were stalling for time to think up something to let her down easy. Anger flared inside her so suddenly it nearly consumed her, destroying the self doubt and pity that had started to surface beneath her skin. The voice in her head fueling her misery ordered her to say something first. Don't let him do this to you. You were too stupid to see it coming from Sasuke but you know better now.

"It was a stupid mistake, I know." She said quickly, the words tumbling from her mouth before she could stop them. "We shouldn't have let it happen."

He blinked in surprise and stood straight, folding his arms over his chest. The office was tight around them and Sakura felt as if she were being smothered. She shrugged her shoulders and looked at the framed college degrees on his wall, to his books packed into the shelves, anywhere but at his face. She didn't want to be caught in whatever spell he had her under while she struggled to be strong for herself. "But, you don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone and it won't happen again." Her eyes moved slowly back to him and she sucked in a tiny breath.

The look of hurt written across his face made her heart plummet to the floor beneath her and she bit down on the inside her lip so hard she could taste blood. She wanted to kick herself for ever opening her mouth. Before she could move toward him or apologize, his wounded expression faded and in its place was the mask she thought she had gotten past. It slipped easily back into place now and Kakashi gave a curt nod before grabbing the book lying next to his computer, not looking at her any longer. She could practically feel the cold drifting off of him. God, why was she so stupid? Her inner voice was annoyingly silent now, no longer able to whisper advice behind her ear.

"You're right. It won't happen again." His words were clipped and felt as if they stung at her skin as he spoke. She flinched but didn't make a move to leave. He lifted his gaze to her for a brief second and she hated that she could no longer see the desire he had for her yesterday. He looked back down to his desk. "You can shut the door behind you. I'll be down in a bit."

Sakura opened her mouth to argue, to tell him she was wrong, that it hadn't been stupid or a mistake, but the look in his eyes that he had just given her made her clamp her lips shut. He ignored her presence and turned to the filing cabinet behind him, wrenching the drawer open so loudly it made her start. With shaking hands, she opened his door and slipped out into the hallway. Someone was typing at their computer in another office and she could hear the telltale sniffles of someone dealing with a cold but it all faded from her ears as she made her way back to the stairs.

She grabbed the railing to keep herself steady and made her way back down the three floors, confused as to what had just happened. How had she fucked everything up in less than 30 seconds? She had been so terrified he was going to end whatever this was with her that she beat him to it. It made no sense and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why she hadn't just kept her stupid mouth shut.

The classroom was still just as noisy as it had been when she had stepped out and like before, no one even looked her way as she slid back into her seat. She eyed her backpack, everything still packed inside, sitting next to her on the floor and she debated on skipping class altogether. Would he even care if she was gone, or would he be like everyone else and not even notice her absence? She put her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut, hating herself for being so stupid that she let her insecurities get the best of her. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe she could explain to him that she had been hurt once before and was just scared of it happening again.

The sound of the door opening at the side of the classroom made her head lift quickly from her hands and she longed for him to look her way. He kept his eyes straight ahead and only moved them down to his briefcase as the students behind her broke up their groups and moved into their desks. Kakashi looked up and her heart beat fast in her throat but he made it a point not to even glance her way. Sakura felt her shoulders droop in disappointment. "I'm planning for a test next Monday on these last two chapters." He sounded exactly as he always did in class and Sakura hated to think that she would never hear him whisper such amazing things to her again.

He pulled the cap off of his marker and turned toward the board, scribbling quickly in the messy handwriting she had gotten used to reading by now. Before he could open his mouth to start the lesson, the trill of a ringtone echoed around the room. All of the color drained from Sakura's face as she realized that it was coming from the backpack sitting on the floor by her feet. She quickly plunged her hand inside the outer pocket and grabbed the noisy phone, pressing the button on the side to silence it. It was too late.

She shook the hair from her eyes and stared at the man who had turned to look at her with a sharp arch of his scarred eyebrow. God, she had wanted him to look at her but not like this. This made the blood in her veins run cold and she could only stare up at him as she held her phone to her chest, begging him not to say anything. "If you'd please turn your ringer off, Ms. Haruno, and give the rest of the class the same consideration they've given you." He turned back to the board, as if she were just another student to him, and resumed writing the day's lecture notes.

Sakura felt as if she had been kicked in the gut and a little part of her wanted to stand up and tell him to go fuck himself for the way he had spoken to her. The thick lump in her throat blocked any words from making their way onto her tongue and instead, she reached down and snatched her backpack from the floor. She stood from her chair, the legs scraping against the tile floor beneath her and she ignored it as she hurried to the door. The stares and barely hidden laughter from the rest of the students watching her leave only fueled the anger and frustration inside her and tears stung the back of her eyelids. Sakura slammed the door behind her with so much force, the window pane rattled violently. A little part of her knew that she was being childish and immature and he would have said much worse to anyone else but she didn't care. She was so hurt, so angry at herself for letting something like this happen that she wanted to be anywhere but here.

She pushed the front doors open to the science building and sucked in the cold air as much as she could. It burned her lungs but she welcomed the little pinpricks of pain inside her chest as she put as much distance between her and the building as she could. The further away she was from him, the better.

If she was being rational with herself, she would admit that he was just acting on his anger too. It was clear she had hurt him with her words in his office but there was no rational thinking now. She had already made a scene and the last thing she wanted in that moment was to admit she was wrong. With a shaking breath, she fished her phone from her pocket and glanced down at the screen to see who had even called her.

 **Missed Call**  
 **Sasuke 9:42AM**

The bar across the screen made her steps falter and she nearly tripped over her own feet at the sight of his name. What the hell did he want? Had he somehow sensed that she was miserable and he was calling to rub her nose in it? She rolled her eyes and dropped her hands to her side, telling herself that no matter what it was, she didn't want to know. He was the absolute last person she wanted to talk to right now.

She made it to the fountain before she looked back down to her cellphone and swiped her thumb over his name in her contacts. She put the device to her ear and listened as it rang twice before he answered sleepily. "Hey."

God, she hated that she still felt a little tremor of excitement from hearing his voice. It didn't completely erase her anger though and she focused on him ignoring her at the party and his call getting her in trouble with Kakashi to fuel her already sour attitude. "I was in class, you know?"

"And?"

"And my professor was pissed because my phone rang."

His laugh on the other end infuriated her and she switched ears as she paced the cobblestone in front of the fountain. "That's your fault for not turning it to silent."

Sakura opened her mouth to retort but he was right. She had silenced her phone every other day before today, so whose fault was it but hers? Of course, unlike most days, she had been incredibly distracted by the memory of her Sunday with Kakashi. Frowning, she changed the subject. "Did you want anything in particular?"

"I just wanted to see how you were. You left the party so early the other night that I didn't even get a chance to say hello." He was smirking, she could tell by the tease dripping from his words. It made her feel a bit sick to her stomach and she blocked the image of him being so close to Karin Uzumaki.

"And you decided to call me nearly three weeks later? Besides, you looked a little busy. I didn't want to interrupt your date."

"Who, Karin?" Sakura didn't want to hear her name, or the way it rolled so pleasantly off of his tongue and rolled her eyes as he said it with a chuckle. "She wasn't my date."

"Well, you could have fooled me."

Sakura glanced at the clock tower across the lawn from her and sighed heavily. Her next class was a little over an hour away and she was dreading it. She had already skipped one class for the day, what was one more? Besides, Shizune would be understanding if Sakura sent her an email explaining that she suddenly got sick in class. It wasn't exactly a lie. She had felt as if she were going to throw up seconds before she had left.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

His words made her lip curl in disgust. There was no way she was going to class now. A day like today called for a pity party with copious amounts of wine to wash it down.. Turning her back to the campus, she headed back toward her apartment and really wished she had never called Sasuke back. Was he only wanting to make her feel like shit? Well, she wasn't going to let him. "Jealousy? Of course not."

"Sakura," He said, his voice low enough to make a wave of chills slither over her spine. It didn't have the same effect as it once had. Now, it only left her with a sick taste in the back of her mouth. "I thought you knew I wasn't interested in a relationship."

"I never asked you for one!" No matter how hard she struggled to keep her tone cool and collected, she couldn't help snapping at him. Had he always been this annoying, or had she just been blinded by her ridiculous crush?

Sasuke laughed again and this time she could hear him moving about, wherever he was. She didn't want to imagine him at home, lounging in bed or making his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. It hadn't been that long ago that she had pictured herself waking next to him and where the thought had once left her longing, now it only made her feel sick. "I didn't think you wanted to _be_ with me. I thought you just wanted to have fun."

Liar! She wanted to scream at him, to tell him to go fuck himself just like she had wanted to scream at Kakashi but she bit her tongue as she waited for a car to speed by. She stepped off the curb and was thankful she was less than a block from her apartment. Her bed was certainly calling her name now. Pursing her lips, she shook her head and looked to the sky. "You're right. I did just want to have fun and I had it. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be."

His laugh was like gasoline on a fire and she resisted the urge to smash her phone on the sidewalk below her. "Ouch. You say that, but I'm sure you'd be up for another round."

Ugh! She ended the call before she did something drastic like shatter her phone on the next passing car and hurried to the iron gate in front of the florist. She could see the woman behind the counter making a pretty arrangement of roses and baby's breath and Sakura sighed heavily. She hated that she had been forced to hide away in her apartment like a dog. It would have been so much better if she had stood her ground, held her head high and made him look at her through class. She should have shown him that she wasn't affected at all by him.

But, she didn't have the confidence nor the energy to do something like that, especially when it was blatantly a lie. Everything he did and everything they had done affected her, even now that it was over. Sakura closed her front door behind her and stared at the kitchen around her, her stomach calling for food and her heart calling for wine. She pulled the fridge door open and grabbed a bowl of fruit and eyed the full bottle of wine sitting on the shelf. It was way too early in the day to be drinking...but what did it matter? She didn't have class, she was off work...

She grabbed the bottle of wine and kicked the door to the fridge closed, knowing that if she was going to be miserable, at least she could be miserable and drunk.

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 **AN** \- It pained me to do this, but don't worry. It's only going to add to the burn. You'll see soon enough ;)


	18. Worth The Wait

Chapter 18: Worth The Wait

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Wednesday night, Sakura sat on a rickety old stool behind the counter at the Village Cafe and flipped lazily through one of last season's fashion magazines they had laying around. It was a slow night and the only customers that came through the door had gotten their cups to go and had left the dining area as deserted as it had been when they arrived. Sakura couldn't complain. She was thankful for the quiet night after her week from hell.

She had missed the past three days of class and though she had sent emails to all of her professors, except one, to explain her absence, she still felt guilty for letting Kakashi get to her so badly. But, the thought of seeing him, even just being on the same campus as him right now, made her feel as if she would throw up. She knew she was being ridiculous and irrational, which only pissed her off more. It was like a constant tug of war going on in her head and no matter what side she was on, she was always the loser.

She angrily swiped the page and tried to focus on last year's winter trends but it wasn't doing a good job distracting with so many ads placed between the pages of men and women locked in an embrace, it was only doing the opposite of keeping her mind off of him. With a sigh, she slid the magazine away from her and glanced to the girl arranging the holiday decor along the counter. From behind the counter, she could only see the top of Tenten's head as she hung snowflakes and candy canes on the front of the register.

Apparently, she had been touched by the spirit of the upcoming holidays...either that, or someone in particular had put her in a good mood. So far, Sakura had refrained from asking about Iruka. The last thing she wanted to hear about was someone else's success with love and Tenten hadn't offered to say much about it anyway. Sighing, Sakura made her way around the counter to assess the decor and stood with her arms crossed, watching her friend wrap a string of lights around the cash register. "Does it look okay?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Looks festive." Sakura didn't offer much else, though it was clear to just about everyone that she was far from being into the holiday spirit. From the back of the dining area, Ino emerged from the bathroom looking fresh faced as she wound her way around the tables and chairs. She came to stand next to Sakura and judged the excessive amounts of decoration.

"Damn, Tenten. You really go all out for this, don't you?"

The brunette took a step back and smiled at the multitude of lights and garland hanging from the counter. She gathered the tape and scissors she had pulled out and crossed over to the front windows to treat them the same way. Sakura looked out into the street from the front doors and took a deep breath, wishing the fog in her mind would lift and she could feel somewhat decent or normal again. She had barely felt this bad after being ghosted by Sasuke and she had wasted two entire years on him. Why was this strange, brief affair she had with Kakashi making her feel this miserable? They had only kissed twice and yeah, she had done a lot more to him but, missing him like this was ridiculous. Especially when they hadn't even been involved with each other. It was barely anything at all, and she told herself it was just that no matter how much she didn't want to believe it.

A hand waved in front of her face and Sakura blinked as she looked to the girl standing next to her. Ino raised a slender eyebrow and narrowed her eyes as she studied her face. "Are you okay?" She asked rather quietly and Sakura glanced at the back of Tenten's head as she reached up to hang a string of glittering garland around the window frame.

Shrugging, she leaned an elbow back on the counter. "Just worried about all the work I've missed the last few days." She had told her friends she had been under the weather, failing to tell them that it was mostly a hangover from consuming two bottles of wine on Monday. It wasn't like Sakura to miss class and if they knew it was over a guy , they would have automatically assumed it was Sasuke and she didn't really feel like explaining the whole situation to them. Ino scoffed and waved a hand toward her with a roll of her bright, blue eyes.

"Please. You could stand to miss a few days. I've never met someone who actually enjoys class like you. Besides, I thought you liked one class in particular." She winked and Sakura felt her stomach clench at the mention of that one class in particular . She was afraid that her face gave her away as she realized who Ino was referring to. Sakura had almost forgotten she had told Ino. Biting her lip, she shook her head and looked back out the front doors to hide the blush across her face.

"Yeah, well, his class is one I wanted to skip the most."

"Oh?" Ino was intrigued now and her eyes sparkled at the hint of drama. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to face Sakura. "Did you try one of the things I mentioned?"

"Definitely not." Sakura scoffed. "I guess I kind of did make a fool of myself though. My phone rang in class on Monday and he kind of snapped at me. I got up and just left, made a bit of a scene like a child. I didn't think I could face him or the rest of the class after that, so I skipped Lab today. Which I'm sure will bring my grade down a notch but...I don't care." She looked up at the ceiling and shook her head with a small laugh.

The girl beside her shrugged. "Well, all of my professors have been dicks about phones this semester. Professor Yuhi kicked a guy out of class just because his vibrated. Of course, he was texting the entire time. She said it was incredibly disrespectful to have your phone out during lecture but, still..." Sakura knew Ino was just trying to make her feel better but it had only made her feel worse to hear. Here she was complaining about being snapped at when other students were being kicked out of class altogether? That really made her look childish. And though she didn't want to admit it, Kakashi probably would have been much worse on someone else. Ugh, why had she been such a brat about it? Sighing, Sakura pushed her fingers through her hair and tried to shrug off the tension in her shoulders that was starting to work its way up to her head.

"You wanna know the worst part?" She asked, hoping to change the subject so she wouldn't accidentally blurt out to her friends that she had given her professor a hand-job last Sunday.

Tenten hopped off the chair after the garland was in place and joined them back at the counter, glancing between the two as she put the tape and scissors back beneath the register. "Worst part of what?" She asked.

"Sakura's professor snapped at her for her phone ringing." Ino filled her in quickly before leaning closer to Sakura, eager to hear the rest. She looked at her two friends for a moment, letting the suspense build up, knowing they were going to flip out once she told them who it had been that had called her.

"It was Sasuke who had called me."

Ten's jaw dropped and Ino smacked her shoulder with the back of her hand, her eyes widening dramatically. "Shut up!"

"What did he want?"

"Basically, to tell me exactly what I already knew." Sakura shook her hair from her face and looked up to the ceiling as she tried to recall his exact words. Which wasn't hard. She had been repeating them over and over in her head, her anger growing more and more with every thought of him that crossed her mind. "He said that I should have known he hadn't wanted a relationship and that he thought I just wanted to have fun."

"Such an asshole." Tenten muttered, angrily snatching the wash rag from the counter before making her way to wipe down the tables.

"And you told him to go fuck himself right?" Ino asked with a nod of her head, making Sakura chuckle.

"I wanted to. But, I told him that I did have fun but it wasn't all that I thought it would be. Then I hung up on him." Sakura finished with a shrug, surprised that she could tell other people about what he had said and not feel a thing. Sure, she had been pissed while she drank herself into a stupor on Monday but the more she repeated his words in her head, the more she realized that he was nothing like she thought he was. He wasn't quiet, or brooding, or sensitive. He was just a dick who thought he was better than everyone else. He was someone she could never see herself being with but she wasn't sure if she came to that conclusion before or after she had started this with Kakashi. A part of her was sure it was before.

The day of the blood drive, she had been so excited to see his text and though she had been upset he hadn't really wanted to talk to her, she had all but forgotten about it all once Kakashi had been there. It was like whenever he was near her, she didn't feel abandoned by the guy she thought she loved, and she didn't feel at all sorry for herself. She missed the way she felt whenever she was with him, as if she were riding a high she had never felt before. And though they had been nothing at all, she missed him so much already that it ached to think that she had been the one to end it.

"So, what are you going to do?" Ino's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife and Sakura blinked in surprise.

"About what?" She asked, her voice holding a bit of panic at the thought of her possibly saying any of those thoughts out loud. Tenten had moved to the register and taped a few candy canes to the side of the drawers, glancing back at them.

"About Sasuke! I mean, does this mean you're ready to move on from him and date someone once and for all?"

With a shrug, Sakura glanced back out the front doors and watched a silver car speed by. Her heart raced at the sight but it wasn't even the same make as Kakashi's car. Sakura took a deep breath and shook her head. She wasn't ready to date someone else. She wanted to date Kakashi. "I've moved on from Sasuke, but I don't want to date."

Ino stuck her bottom lip out in a pout and plucked one of the candy canes from the register. "Hey!" Tenten shouted but it was ignored as the blonde pulled the plastic off and chewed on the tip of the candy. The two bickered back and forth for a bit and Sakura excused herself to straighten the dining area, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. Tomorrow, she would be back in the library to catch up on some of the work she missed. She would be back on campus with him and though the thought of seeing him still made her feel light-headed, Sakura wasn't sure she could keep herself away from him any longer.

It was time they had a talk.

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Sakura stood three floors up from the classroom she had last seen Kakashi in, staring into the darkness of his office. The door was shut and there was no one inside though the list of hours beneath his name said that he wouldn't be in class all afternoon. Her shoulders fell in disappointment and she turned to glance around the other offices. The one directly across the hall was dark and empty, as if no one had ever even moved into it.

There was only one door open, a few offices down and the girl sighed heavily as she headed for it. The name on the door read 'Dr. Kurenai Yuhi'. Sakura recognized the name but couldn't remember where and when she turned to knock against the doorframe, she blinked in surprise. It was Kakashi's friend who had her baby a few weeks back. She looked tired and for a second, Sakura regretted ever bothering her. "Can I help you?" She asked, setting her book down on the top of her desk.

Sakura's voice stuck in her throat and she had to clear it so the words would come out. "I-I was just wondering if you happened to know when Professor Hatake would be back in his office?" The woman checked the time on the watch around her wrist and gave a humming sound as she thought about her question.

"I think he stepped out to grab some lunch about an hour ago. He should be back soon." With a small smile, she tilted her head and studied Sakura, her eyes searching for where she knew the girl from. Did she recognize her from Iruka's that night, standing in the dark on the porch next to his? After a moment of silence that stretched between them, she blinked and seemed to give up on trying to figure it out. "I can message him if you need to speak with him."

"No, that's okay. I'll just...wait." Sakura backed out of the woman's office and glanced back at Kakashi's door, the idea of waiting for him making her sigh. She had purposefully waited until now to see him, knowing he was out of class since noon and wouldn't be back in until an hour from now. Her nerves sat heavily in the pit of her stomach, twisted and gnarled and with each breath she took, they grew bigger and bigger.

She reached his office once again and touched the piece of paper taped beside the door, studying his name typed at the top for a moment. There was no telling how long he was going to be gone and she hoped he wasn't meeting anyone for lunch. The thought of him actually going out with someone else made her feel sick and she held her stomach as she lowered herself to the floor. She folded her legs and pulled her phone from her pocket, wondering if she should text him herself.

She didn't want to seem desperate, even though that was exactly what she was feeling right now. Thinking about him at lunch with another girl, smiling at her over cups of coffee, him reaching out to take her hand made her want to cry. She wanted to be that girl sitting across from him, feeling his fingers around hers and listening to his voice whisper deliciously in her ear. She could still remember the way he had set fire to her skin with his words.

Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back against the wall. The anticipation was killing her. She was both terrified and excited to see him again. She was scared to see the look in his eyes when he saw her. Would he be happy or disappointed that she was there? She didn't know what she would do if she saw the same hurt he had briefly shown her the last time she had been in his office. But, she wouldn't walk away again, wouldn't let him dismiss her without talking first.

She had to know what they were, if anything.

The sound of voices at the end of the hall made her start and she looked toward the stairs just as two men came around the corner. She recognized them both but only one made her heart skip wildly in her chest. Kakashi's eyes moved to hers and she couldn't quite make out the expression on his face from so far away. The man at his side dipped into his office at the end of the hallway and Sakura scrambled to her feet as Kakashi pushed his hands into his pockets. He walked toward her and with each step he took, she felt as if she were losing her breath. He looked so good that it almost hurt to look at him.

Sakura's fingers shook as she reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Hey." It was all she could say and she could barely say it at all. Kakashi stopped before her, keeping enough distance away that she couldn't reach out and touch him, as if he were afraid she would. She folded her arms over her chest and looked away, fixing her eyes on the open door of his friend's office down the hall. "Hey." His voice as as quiet as hers.

"Can I talk to you?" She breathed, the knots in her stomach growing heavier. "About the lab I missed?"

He nodded and stepped around her, unlocking his office before holding the door open so she could step inside. For a moment, being in the dark with him close behind her made her entire body sizzle as her imagination turned from apprehension to something more sensual. She spun on her heel and took a deep breath, wishing she could just grab him and show him how badly she had missed him. Kakashi flipped on the lights and stepped around her too quickly for her to even think about making a move. She shook her head and turned to his desk as he turned his computer on. He was making a point not to look at her and Sakura felt her shoulders fall.

He was still hurt.

She couldn't really blame him but, she had acted like a fool and had the courage to come back and face him. The least he could do was look at her. Clearing her throat, she stepped up to his desk and folded her arms over her chest, wracking her brain for something to say to him. "Did I miss anything important?" Ugh, not that. She didn't care about class for once.

Kakashi pursed his lips and finally lifted his eyes to hers. Sakura felt as if she had been set on fire all of a sudden and her heart raced at the look in his eyes. She could see that he had missed her as well. "You missed a lab. I'll have to give you a zero for the day."

"How far does that bring my grade down?" She couldn't help watching his lips as he rubbed his fingers across his chin. He took a seat in his chair and typed his password into the computer, glancing up at her briefly. Sakura didn't want to sit. She wanted to crawl across his desk and climb into his lap. She watched him sit back and wait for the computer program to load and she managed to lower herself into the chair across his desk.

"You had good grades to begin with. I doubt it dropped that much."

She caught him glancing to her lips and she licked them, wishing she had thought to put some makeup on or at least made sure her hair was brushed. It was surprising that despite the things she had said to him and him snapping at her in class that the heat between them was still there. It was undeniable and she could feel it sink right back into her skin almost as if it had never left. Kakashi cleared his throat and turned to the computer screen, clicking through his class lists until he came to Sakura's name.

He typed in a few numbers and Sakura could only watch the length of his fingers as he moved them over the keys. "Even with a zero for a lab grade, you still have an A."

"Oh. Good." Sakura put her hands on his desk and slid to the edge of the seat but didn't move to stand. She swallowed and knew if she didn't say something now, she never would. And walking out of his office without knowing how he felt about her was not an option. "I didn't mean what I said, you know. I was scared." He stared at her, his expression hard to read. He didn't respond and Sakura ducked her head, fearing that it was too little too late. Was his silence his way of saying he didn't care what excuse she had? Her legs shook as she stood and turned toward the door, her heart aching.

"Scared of what?" His voice startled her and she blinked back at him as he stood to his feet.

"Scared that you didn't want this anymore. I mean, what you said to me in the lab office that day...about the chemicals of the universe. I was afraid you would never say anything like that to me again." She looked down at the top of his desk, her entire body trembling beneath his gaze. "I didn't even let you speak and I should have. If you want to end this, I understand. I just didn't want you to think that I thought this was a mistake."

He stayed quiet and Sakura gave a small nod, wishing he would say something to her instead of stare at her with that unfathomable gaze. She swallowed and turned toward the door, dragging in a shaking breath. Before she could slip out into the hallway, a hand pushed the door slowly shut and she gasped at the feel of him so close behind her. Sakura turned and looked up at Kakashi as he stared down at her. He stepped closer, pushing her back toward the corner of his office and away from the door until her back was against the wall beneath his two framed diplomas.

"Can I say what I had wanted to the other day?" He asked, his voice low and warm against her face. She was so focused on how close he was and his hand pushing a strand of hair behind her ear that she almost hadn't heard his words. She nodded as he slid his finger beneath her jaw, tipping her head back. Their lips were so close. All she had to do was step up on her tiptoes and she would feel his kiss once more. "The semester ends in three weeks." He whispered and she blinked in confusion.

"Okay." She breathed, her knees going weak at the smile that stretched across his lips.

"In three weeks, I won't be your Professor anymore. Can you wait until the semester ends?" Sakura watched his tongue dart out to wet his lips and she could only nod. She would wait for him. Her entire body was singing happily in anticipation of what three weeks could possibly bring her. Every fiber and nerve across her body tingled at the thought. "I'll make it worth the wait. I promise."

* * *

 **AN** \- Like what he said...It'll be worth the wait ;)


	19. Impatience

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* * *

A few days were torture. Three weeks was going to be the death of him and Kakashi had seriously underestimated just how badly he was wanting to be alone with her again. He thought he could be strong until the semester ended. He could resist this strange desire he felt for her. Hell, he had all but accepted that this thing between them was over a week ago and it was time for him to move on. But, watching Sakura expose a little part of her soul to him in his office, admitting that she had been scared, made whatever little resentment he held for her this past week whither away. He hadn't necessarily been angry that she had turned him away but he he hadn't wanted her to see that she had hurt him. Seeing her sitting on the floor outside his office last week had been surprising and he had never expected her to tell him she had been scared.

In the single second before she had lifted her face to him, Kakashi had felt his breath slip from his lungs and something warm began to fill the empty space. It had been hard for him to even move or hear a single word Asuma had said before he departed into his own office. The entire hallway had shrank and he suddenly had found himself in front of her, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss away the sadness in her eyes. Her words had echoed bitterly in his head, stopping him from reaching out to touch her. ' _It had been a stupid mistake'_.

He could even hear the fear in her voice as she had said it but he was too blinded by his own pain to notice. And when she told him she had lied, that this wasn't a mistake, he couldn't deny the flood of heat through his entire body. It had been torture to keep himself seated behind his desk as she stared down at him. The pink tint of her hair made the blush across her cheeks glow and he couldn't help wonder if she would look that way after being fucked. He wanted to find out for himself. Keeping his hands to himself and his lips off of her neck as he had cornered her against the wall had been the hardest thing he had ever done.

But, as long as he was her Professor, he knew they couldn't do or be what he wanted them to. He wanted her without the fear of being caught, without constantly looking over his shoulder. As hot as it was keeping themselves a secret, he was getting too impatient for that. He wanted to take her out, to actually be with her. This wasn't just physical anymore. It was more.

And now, five days after she had stared up at him with her wide, jade eyes, he was tortured by the thought of her while he sat in a meeting with a team of experts there to give Konoha University advice. Men and women in suits lectured to a large portion of the faculty about the importance of student attendance, making sure each lesson pertained to the curriculum and how to make the new year a great one. Kakashi swirled the cap of his pen around the table, his mind far away from the mundane things the speakers were addressing. He hated the fog in his mind that had made itself quite at home since the first moment he had seen Sakura. It was so unlike him to be _this_ drawn to someone.

The device in his front pocket vibrated and Kakashi frowned as he pulled his phone out and glanced under the table at the screen. He suddenly felt like a student in one of his classes, hiding his phone even though it was clear what he was doing. But, before he could appreciate the irony, his heart skipped a beat as he looked down at the text message.

 _SH: Good morning_

 ** _It's definitely morning._**

 _SH: I take it you're not a morning person?_

 ** _I like mornings. I dislike meetings at 8:30 in the morning, though._**

 _SH: Now you know how we feel :P_

The woman across the table from Kakashi sneezed into a tissue, making him lift his head back up to make sure the three suits at the front of the room weren't giving him the stink eye for texting. They were far too busy with explaining the slide that was currently open on their presentation. He ignored the bar graph of expected admission rates for the next year and looked back down at his phone.

I hope I don't sound this boring when I lecture.

 _SH: Probably to some ;)_

 ** _But, to you?_**

 _SH: I've slipped into some daydreams once or twice_

 ** _Oh? Dreaming about anything particularly interesting?_**

Kakashi slipped his phone back into his pocket, knowing that if he kept that conversation going, he was going to have a hard time standing once the meeting came to an end. His fingers twitched as he felt her response vibrate against his hip. Since their meeting in his office last Thursday, they had been texting more than usual. He wasn't complaining. Any chance to talk to her, he would find. Though it was clear that they were both a little apprehensive with their messages, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed flirting with her. He loved imaging her squirm and blush from his responses, the same way he noticed her doing in class from time to time when he caught her staring at him.

"We think with all this new information, we can make the next year and those to come really special at Konoha University." The woman at the front of the room ended the presentation and a few members of the faculty gave a half-hearted round of applause. Kakashi was out of his seat before the screen had even shut off and made his way out into the hallway. The admissions building always smelled musty, as if there were old books stacked everywhere and he was ready to be back among the fumes of chemicals on his side of the campus. His hand dipped into his pocket as he pushed the front doors open but before he could pull his phone out, his name called from behind him.

He turned to see his usual group of colleagues and resisted the urge to sigh, knowing he would have to wait just a few more minutes before he read Sakura's response. "We're going to get some breakfast. Want to join?" Kurenai smiled sweetly but it was the way her partner was looking at him that made Kakashi a bit nervous. He shrugged helplessly.

"I've got some work to do, actually."

Asuma didn't believe him. He could tell by the mischievous smirk lifting his friend's lips. Kakashi ignored the look on his face and said farewell to the group. Before he could make his way out into the fresh, winter air, a hand reached out and hooked around his elbow. It belonged to Asuma and judging by the grin on his face, he was suspicious of something. "You were smiling quite a bit in such a boring meeting, you know?" He kept his voice low as the others made their way in the opposite direction.

Shit. Had he really let himself be noticed that easily? He was going to have to seriously gain some control over himself if he was going to give into this need for Sakura. Kakashi smiled innocently. "I can't smile now?"

"Of course. But, smiling like that while texting? Usually always means there's a girl on the other end." Damn. How was he that astute? Kakashi felt bad for Asuma's daughter. She was going to have a hell of a time sneaking around in 18 years. "Is it the one from the blind date?"

Kakashi had almost forgotten the one date he had in the past year, especially since the night he had it, he had been a bit preoccupied with Sakura. He shrugged again, knowing it was best to keep the guy wondering. "Maybe." He waved to his friends before turning back toward the doors that lead to the front lawn of the admissions department. Perfectly trimmed hedges lined the sidewalks and flower beds laid on the ground, patiently waiting for spring. It was always so neat and tidy that Kakashi had to resist the urge to kick his feet through the mulch, just to mess it up a bit. Once he was sure there were no nosy, spying friends peeking over his shoulder, he pulled his cellphone back out.

 _SH: Maybe a few times._

 ** _You've got me curious about this._**

 _SH: Curiosity killed the cat, Professor_

 ** _Yes but satisfaction brought it back. Do you have class today?_**

 _SH: yes, at 11 then work all night._

A car sped by as Kakashi reached the sidewalk and he blinked, surprised that he had let himself get so distracted by a text message. This girl was going to be the death of him, he was sure of it. He stepped off the curb and jogged across the street, wondering which building she was going to be in at eleven. Sighing, he pushed his hand through his hair and turned left at the fountain on the front lawn, heading toward his office. He thought briefly about stopping by the Village Cafe for a cup of coffee but he didn't need any more temptation. Just seeing her in class was enough to drive him crazy.

He knew he had to call it quits with their texting for a while. He had four lectures for the day and one lab in the afternoon. If he wasn't careful, he'd end up sitting in his office talking to her all day and he certainly couldn't have that.

 ** _I'll be in lab until 5 and if I don't stop procrastinating, I'll never get to class. Talk to you later?_**

 _SH: Of course._

Her message made the corner of his lips curl and he quickly put his phone away, wondering when he had turned into a teenager again.

* * *

"Have you ever…" Sakura swallowed and glanced around the coffee shop, though it was relatively empty this close to closing. "Sexted?" She whispered, leaning toward the blonde who picked at a muffin on the other side of the counter. Ino's eyes lifted and she blinked a few times before turning to stare at Sakura. Dropping the muffin onto the counter, her lips broke out into a grin.

"Have you?" Ino asked teasingly.

Sakura rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, which is why I'm asking you . So, have you?" She tried to seem indifferent to the topic, as if it were just a fleeting thought and not something that she was actually wanting to do. It was difficult though, especially when she was planning to do this with someone like Professor Hatake. Sure, he had been the complete opposite of who she had pegged him to be at the beginning of the semester...but that didn't mean he was into something like sexting. Honestly, she didn't know if it was something she was into either but every time she got a message from him, a little part of her was hoping it would be a dirty one.

The thought made her shift on her feet, hoping Ino couldn't tell how nervous or embarrassed she was just for asking a question like this. But, the blonde was a bit distracted by the idea of Sakura actually sexting someone to notice how uncomfortable she was. "Well, first of all," Ino said, wiping the crumbs from the counter. "Who are you sexting with?"

"Just a guy." It wasn't a lie and Sakura shrugged innocently.

"A guy I know? Or is it a guy who you really shouldn't be talking to anymore?" She was sure Ino meant Sasuke but she bit the inside of her lip and rolled her eyes. Technically, she wasn't supposed to be texting Kakashi either but their flirting had been driving her crazy for the past few days and she was dying for more.

"He's in one of my classes. We've been texting for the past few days."

A woman in the back of the cafe stood from her stool, making the legs scrape loudly across the concrete floor. Sakura glanced at her from the corner of her eye and wished Ino wouldn't keep grinning at her like she was. It made her cheeks flush and she sighed, grabbing the tip jar to push it under the register. "Nevermind." She breathed.

"No, no! I don't mean to be like a mother hen or something. I'm just thrilled it isn't Sasuke." Ino crossed in front of the muffin case and leaned an elbow on the top of it, watching as Sakura cleaned up her work space. The woman hurried out the front door, the bell above her echoing around the now empty dining area. Both girls watched her walk out before turning back to the topic Sakura had brought up. "Have either of you initiated it yet?"

"Initiated what? Sexting?"

Ino nodded and Sakura thought back to all of her texts with Kakashi. It was a bit weird initiating something like that through texting when they had done far more than sexting a few days ago. She couldn't help remember back to the way he had begged her not to stop as she had made him come. The thought made a familiar tingling sensation spread through her and she quickly shook it from her head. "We've been flirting but it hasn't gotten...dirty." She whispered the word, a smirk curling the side of her mouth.

"Well, I don't know how open you are to being the one to initiate it but if you're shy, there are ways to hint at it without being so bold."

"Like what?" Sakura joined her at the muffin case and put her hands on the top, leaning closer to the girl. So much for being indifferent. She was too interested now in what advice Ino could give her to pretend to be nonchalant.

"Something that usually works for me is mentioning what I'm wearing. Like, _oh, my shorts are so short but I don't feel like changing_ , or _I'm so comfy in this tee shirt right now_. Then, if they took the bait, they'll probably ask you for a picture or for you to describe what you're wearing." Ino winked and popped the last bite of her pastry into her mouth, obviously proud of her technique. But, Sakura wasn't sure she could say something like that to him. This wasn't some random college guy from her classes. He was mature and probably far more experienced than she was.

Then again, he did read porn.

"Okay, what else? What if I do want to be the one to initiate it?" Sakura glanced at the clock above her head. It was five minutes until closing and would probably be another half hour until she made it back home. She hoped he wouldn't be asleep by the time she left. They would be seeing each other in lab the next day but she was feeling a bit anxious to try these tips out. Just something to tide her over until the semester had ended.

Ino shrugged. "You could always be blunt. Some guys are really into it. Just tell him exactly what you want him to do to you or vice versa. Or, in the middle of a normal conversation, send him a naked picture."

Sakura wanted to laugh and roll her eyes at her best friend but she stopped herself. She had never taken a naked picture before, had never let someone see her completely naked either. Well, she assumed she had been naked with Sasuke but the night was still a big blur to her that she couldn't be too sure. The realization that Kakashi could possibly see her naked soon made her suddenly incredibly nervous. It would possibly ease her apprehension to send him something like that so she wouldn't be so scared when they were actually together.

"Shit. I gotta go." Ino said as she glanced at the time on her phone. She snatched her purse and headed toward the door, walking backwards so she could wiggle her eyebrows to Sakura. "Let me know how it goes." She pushed the door open and paused long enough for their goodbyes and Sakura waited in the silence of the cafe for a brief moment. Ino's advice had been good and she figured even if she wasn't ready to send a naked selfie just yet, she could always try to bait him into initiating something a bit more than the flirting they had been doing.

Even though it wasn't quite ready for closing yet, Sakura locked the doors and began her nightly duties, ready to get home and test out Ino's little tips and tricks. She quickly counted down the register, picked up the dining area and turned the machines off before making her way to grab her purse from the back. She had purposefully left her phone inside her bag during her shift, knowing that she would be too tempted to text him and would never get her work done.

There were two messages waiting for her and one made her heart leap into her throat. The other was from Tenten reminding her about the Christmas party coming up the next weekend that Sakura had actually forgotten all about. She typed a quick message to her friend as she pulled her coat on headed toward the doors. Sakura bit her lip as she grinned down at her next text.

 ** _KH: I hope your night wasn't as boring as my morning._**

 _Work is always boring but it's definitely improving now_

God, it felt almost normal to be talking to him like this, as if they weren't sinking deeper and deeper into such forbidden territory. Sakura could almost forget the circumstances of their relationship altogether and revel in the fact that they were actually something . Well, not yet, technically. Sakura sighed and dumped her phone in her pocket as she locked the doors behind her and made sure she had finished everything she was supposed to do.

It wasn't long before she felt a vibration against her hip and she opened the text.

 ** _KH: Oh? Why is that?_**

 _Well, I'm on my way back home now, so that's always a plus._

Sakura bit the inside of her lip as Ino's advice echoed through her mind. Set the bait, she told herself. Before he could reply, she typed another message.

 _And as soon as I walk in, I can take my clothes off and get comfy in bed_

A little bubble appeared, letting her know he was typing. It disappeared and reappeared a few times and Sakura put a hand to her mouth. Had she left him speechless? She definitely hoped so. Her steps grew faster until she was practically jogging around the corner to her apartment, too impatient to walk slow. He finally messaged her as she was pushing her gate open and she looked at her screen.

 ** _KH: So...you'll be naked?_**

 _Not all the way. I'm sure I'll keep my panties on and a shirt of some kind_

 ** _KH: You're teasing me._**

 _How am I teasing you? I'm just telling you that I'll be all alone in my bed, wearing next to nothing_

This was more fun than she had anticipated. Sure, her stomach was in knots and she overanalyzed every single word she typed out but knowing he was reading her texts and imagining her half naked was a treat. She wished she could see him squirm.

Sakura quickly pushed her way inside her apartment and flipped the lights on. Her stomach growled but she ignored it. Food wasn't what she was hungry for right now. She shed her clothes as she moved through her apartment, dumping her jacket on the back of the chair, her shoes kicked off by the back door. She held the phone beneath her chin as she unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down her hips, tossing them to the hamper pushed into the corner of her bedroom.

He replied just as she made her way to the bathroom to wash the make-up from her face.

 ** _KH: Sakura…_**

God, she wished she could hear him say her name. Just imagining him whispering it against her earlobe made goose-bumps appear all over her body. She leaned a hip against her sink and typed.

 _Professor Hatake…_

 ** _KH: I shouldn't like you calling me that._**

 _Want me to stop?_

 ** _KH: No. Are you home yet?_**

 _I am_

 ** _KH: Did you get...comfy?_**

 _Almost_

The smile on Sakura's face couldn't be wiped off now. She was grinning mischievously, thrilled that Ino's advice had actually worked. Sure, he hadn't asked her to describe what she was wearing yet but, he was definitely thinking about it. She held back a giggle as she sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at her bare legs as she unhooked her bra and slipped it out from beneath her shirt. Was she feeling bold enough to try the other tip Ino had given her? A naked selfie was something she wasn't sure she could ever do….but a half naked one? That didn't seem so unreasonable.

Sakura laid back on her sheets and pulled up her camera on her phone. She told herself she would take one picture. If it didn't look good, she would delete it and forget the whole thing. She pulled the fabric of her T-shirt up around her ribs, stretching a bit to make sure her stomach looked good. The gray material of her panties rode a bit low on her hips but she was feeling strangely confident, despite the fact that her professor was about to see her half naked. Maybe. She snapped the picture and sat up to inspect it.

It turned out better than she thought and she took her bottom lip between her teeth. She was showing quite a bit of skin, despite not showing much of anything at all. So he would see her panties, stomach, and a bit of her legs. Was that really a bad thing? Her fingers moved over the screen before her brain could even catch up and she gasped as the message, along with her picture, was sent.

Oh, shit.

Had she crossed a line?

No. If putting her hand down his pants in the lab office wasn't crossing a line, then this definitely wasn't either. She watched as that same bubble popped up under her picture that let her know he was typing.

 ** _KH: Now you're definitely teasing me…_**

 _You seemed curious._

 ** _KH: I seem to remember you reminding me that curiosity killed the cat._**

 _And satisfaction brought it back ;)_

The bubble didn't pop up this time and Sakura took the brief moment to set her phone down on her chest as she laid back on her pillows to catch her breath. It felt as if she had been holding it for several minutes. But, it always felt like that around him. There were so many thoughts swirling around her mind at the moment that it was hard to hold onto a particular one for very long. They were so conflicting too. This was wrong, he could be fired, she could lose her scholarship or worse, be kicked out of the school...but, how could something so wrong make her feel this good. She wanted this, even with all the dangerous things that could come from it. She needed it like she needed oxygen and every second talking to him or being near him was like she was taking a deep breath after holding it in.

Her phone went off and she snatched it off her chest, opening his message as fast as she could. He had sent her a picture as well and Sakura bolted upright in the bed, knocking her phone charger off and making the poor cat who had walked in nearly jump a foot in the air. She ignored Po and opened the picture, her jaw hanging open and her pulse tripling at the sight of his shirtless torso. He had on a pair of gray, knit pants that were sitting low around his hips. She could see every dip between the muscles of his stomach and her fingers practically begged to touch him. He almost looked too good to be true and an ache began to build inside her, spreading out from her core through her entire body. "Ohh," was all she could say, unable to tear her eyes away from every inch of skin that she could see.

She reluctantly closed the picture and returned to their messages, but her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of what to say. There was so much she wanted to tell him, that she was dying to kiss him again, dying to feel him against her. It was as if her entire body was in shock, torn between how intense her arousal was at the moment and finding the words to tell him.

When does the semester end again?

 ** _KH: 10 days._**

 _I suppose there's no use in me asking if you'd like to come over…_

 ** _KH: Trust me, I wish I could._**

 _I know. I don't mean to be annoying about it_

 ** _KH: You're not. I can't stop looking at your picture._**

Sakura couldn't help smile but it was hard to feel as thrilled as she had been earlier. She was so turned on that it was almost painful and she slid further down over her sheets. It was torture keeping her hands to herself and no matter how much she pressed her thighs together to relieve some of the pressure building, it was no use. There was only one thing she wanted right now and no matter how much she begged, she knew she wouldn't be getting it. Her fingers curled around the fabric of her T-shirt to keep herself from pushing them beneath her panties. She didn't want to be the one to touch her tonight. She wanted him, wanted his fingers and his tongue between her legs and god, just the thought of it was making her tremble.

 _You can have the real thing if you wanted_

 ** _KH: Sakura…_**

 _It drives me crazy when you say my name. Even the first time I heard you say it._

Her fingers slipped down her stomach, over her navel and dipped lower to the little bow on the front of her panties. The feel of her shirt moving across her breasts made her nipples harden and she sucked in a tiny breath at the sensation.

 ** _KH: Can I tell you something?_**

 _Yes_

 ** _KH: I wanted to kiss you that night._**

 _I think I would have passed out if you had. I wanted to kiss you too_

 ** _KH: And the day I showed that video in class. You were looking at me and touching yourself._**

 ** _KH: There were so many things I wanted to do to you then_**

 _Like what?_

There was no stopping herself now. She sighed softly as she pushed her fingers into her panties, passing quickly over the strip of hair until she slipped her middle finger into her folds. She was surprised by how wet she already was and lifted her hips just a bit into her touch, wishing it was his fingers sliding over her clit.

 ** _KH: I wanted to lay you across my desk and touch you for myself_**

 ** _KH: I had to dismiss everyone earlier because of you, you know._**

 ** _KH: I was so turned on it was almost painful_**

 _That's how I feel right now_

 ** _KH: Are you touching yourself?_**

 _Yes_

Sakura let her head fall back into the pillows as she drew slow, teasing circles around the sensitive bud beneath her fingertips. She wanted to drop the phone and squeeze her nipples but she wanted to see his words more. They weren't quite as good as what he could do if he were with her, but they were a nice substitute.

 ** _KH: Tell me what you're thinking about_**

 _You touching me. kissing me._

 ** _KH: I wish I could kiss you and taste you_**

 ** _KH: I've thought about it a lot. That night you wore the black dress...I wanted to pull your panties to the side and feel how wet you were_**

 _I did too._

 ** _KH: And I've thought about you touching me and how good it felt with your hand on my cock_**

Fuck! Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, the memory of him panting and bucking his hips into her grip fueling the desire burning hot inside her. She moved her fingers faster now, having no patience for the slow circles, needing something more now. Her thighs trembled and she could feel a bit of sweat across the small of her back as she arched off the bed.

 ** _KH: Are you still touching yourself?_**

 _Yes_

 ** _KH: I want to know when you come._**

 _I'm close_

 ** _KH: Good._**

Sakura imagined him there with her, watching her from across her bedroom as she grew closer to her orgasm. She could feel it building inside her like a coil tightening, ready to burst. The phone slipped from her free hand and she grabbed her breast, her nipple hard against her palm. Her fingers were slick as she moved them faster over her clit and she held back a cry as she felt herself tipping closer to the edge. Kakashi's name was on her lips as she came hard, rocking her hips with each wave that flowed through her. The muscles in her legs were still shaking as she relaxed into her sheets, feeling weakened by the intensity of her orgasm. She had never made herself feel _that_ good and it did little to quell the desire inside her to think that he could make her feel even better. She reached for her phone, her face flushed as she typed.

 _I don't think I've ever came that hard before_

 ** _KH: I'll take that as a challenge_**

 _Is that right, Professor Hatake?_

 ** _KH: One that I'm sure I'll enjoy._**

 _I can't wait. :)_

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AN- Whew! That was fun to write! I actually dreaded it because I wasn't sure how to go about it. But, I love the way it turned out and I hope you did as well!


	20. The Fear

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Wednesday brought heavy clouds and the distant rumbling of thunder and Sakura felt it matched the brewing storm inside her. She tried to take a deep breath and calm herself down but there was just too much swirling through her mind, a hurricane of thoughts and feelings she hadn't had time to sort through yet. It had been her idea to initiate the conversation she had with Kakashi the night before and she had been so desperate for a release, so blinded by her desire that she hadn't thought beyond the moment. And now, all of her anxiety and fear came bubbling back up to the surface, settling right beneath her skin like an irritating rash.

She scratched at her arms but the crawling sensation stayed put. The front doors to the science department loomed ahead and Sakura took a deep breath to steady herself before pushing forward. Her mind raced, desperately fighting between the need to just see Kakashi and the unrelenting nervousness she hadn't been able to shake all morning. Her fingers trembled as she gripped the door handle and pulled it open, slipping inside quickly before the sky could open up and start raining.

Her nervousness made no sense. She couldn't remember ever feeling this way with him, like she could faint if he happened to glance her way. She hurried past the lab and ducked into the bathroom, checking beneath the stalls to make sure she was alone. She set her backpack beside the sink and ran the faucet so she could splash herself with some cold water. Why was she acting this way now, after everything they had done? It wasn't like she wasn't inexperienced or ready for more...it was exactly the opposite. She wanted it all and couldn't remember ever feeling this way before. She wanted to call Ino, tell her everything and ask her what she should do and if this feeling was normal but that was out of the question. As much as she wanted to involve her best friend, Sakura knew that she could handle this on her own.

With a sigh, she patted a paper towel to her cheeks and balled it into her fists before looking up at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. The cold and rain that threatened to spill did her hair no favors and she had resorted to twisting it into a braid. She pulled it over her shoulder and smoothed the flyaways down while taking a few breaths to calm her racing pulse. Sakura looked into her eyes and watched the corner of her lips curl as she imagined it was Kakashi staring at her with his intense, unreadable and irresistable gaze. It helped to soothe the irritating sensation beneath her skin and the ball of nerves in her stomach began to fade behind the desire she had felt for him the night before. Despite being surrounded by the rest of the class, she was glad she would be seeing him soon, even if she wished they could be completely alone with each other. She would have to settle for watching him out of the corner of her eye.

And he definitely had noticed her watching him in the past. He had told her as much the night before and though normally she would be embarrassed that he knew she couldn't keep her eyes - or hands - away from him, it didn't make her blush today. The bathroom door opened on squeaking hinges, snapping Sakura from her thoughts and she quickly slipped her backpack around her shoulders. A girl came in but kept her eyes to the floor as she made her way into one of the stalls and Sakura was thankful for the lack of eye contact.

She made her way back into the hallway and stopped in front of the closed and locked lab door. Blinking in surprise, Sakura looked at the sign that had been taped to the glass panel. ' **Bio-Chem 9:30 will meet in the classroom across the hall Wednesday** '. Wait. They wouldn't be having lab today? A bit of panic gripped at her spine and she wondered if this meant Kakashi would be absent. He hadn't said anything about missing class today. As much as they had been texting each other lately, surely he would have mentioned not being in class.

Or had something happened from midnight to now? Every fiber in her being wanted to turn and race up the stairs to check on him, terrified that he had gotten scared and changed his mind. She pursed her lips and shook her head, knowing that he would have told her something. She had to calm down. Again.

She dropped her book bag on her usual desk in the classroom and tuned out the mindless conversations from the others, though she briefly made eye contact with the guy who had asked her out...or tried to until Kakashi had all but pushed him out the door. She couldn't remember the guy's name but he smiled as his eyes flickered down the length of her body. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Sakura slid into her seat folded her arms over her chest.

Of all the days for Kakashi to be late, he had to pick the one where she was about to lose her mind to her anxiety. Fear whispered all the reasons why he would have changed his mind in her ear and she chewed the corner of her thumbnail as she listened to the voice. _You're not worth him losing his job over. It's only a matter of time before he realizes that_. Sakura closed her eyes and tried to force the thoughts out of her head. She didn't want to believe them but they sank deep into her heart and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were true. She wasn't worth him being fired over. Heaven forbid it would happen, but if it did...would he blame her?

The thought of him ever hating her made the ball of nerves in her stomach turn to lead and sink heavily inside her. She took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled it seconds before the door slammed and her eyes snapped open. Kakashi strolled to the board, only five minutes late today, and took a marker in his hand. He wrote the words 'FINAL EXAM' across the board before turning to face them. Sakura watched him make his way to the podium, her bones trembling inside her so hard she had to grip the sides of her desk to keep from slipping to the floor.

His presence immediately silenced the fear and dread inside her and she couldn't help stare up at him as if she were seeing him for the first time all over again. He looked so predatorial, as if he could lash out and snatch her up at any moment. She wished he would.

Instead of his usual button down shirt and slacks, he was wearing a slate grey, hooded sweatshirt and jeans that were just tight enough that Sakura could see the muscular outline of his thighs. It was the most relaxed she had ever seen him dress for class but it didn't take away from his handsomeness one bit. She wanted to know what it was like to bury her face in his chest and have his arms around her. The thought made her heart beat fast.

Kakashi leaned an elbow onto the podium and lifted the corner of his mouth in a lopsided grin as he glanced around the room. "Your final exam will be next Monday at 8 AM in this classroom. There will be fifty questions from the lecture and fifty from the labs we've done. It will be comprehensive and I know," He paused as the class groaned and sighed in disappointment. Sakura watched him lift a hand to quieten them down. "No one likes comprehensive exam. So in the spirit of the holidays, I figured I would be generous and give you today so that I can answer any questions you might have about the test."

Almost immediately, a few hands shot up and Sakura glanced over her shoulder to see the boy that had asked her out was one of them. "Can you tell us specific things to study?"

"I'm being generous enough as it is. I'm not holding your hand through it."

Sakura bit her lip to keep from grinning and she looked down at her desk. Three months ago and she would have thought he was being completely unreasonable. Now, hearing him dismiss their laziness so easily turned her on and she was having a hard time keeping herself from getting too hot and bothered. She looked up at him as he was focused on whatever someone else was asking him and she stared at the elegant curl of his fingers around the edge of the podium. She had never been so jealous of a piece of wood before in her life.

"Honestly, if you've made decent grades on your tests, you should have no problem on the final." His eyes flickered to her as he spoke, settling for a brief second on her lips before moving onto someone else behind her but it was enough to make her shiver. She wondered if he was thinking about her and how agonizing it was to be near one another. Was he thinking about their conversation the night before when he was telling her all the delicious and forbidden things he was wanting to do to her? If he was, he was doing a good job hiding it. She was barely containing herself, still gripping the edge of her seat, desperately trying to ignore the aching tightness coiling inside her.

Several other questions came up about certain things they had learned but it all went in one ear and out the other for Sakura. How was she expected to concentrate on chemistry when her mind was too full of the memory of his lips against her throat, her hand dipping into his boxers and the way he said her name that made her entire body melt. Each time he glanced her way, she had to hold her breath to keep from gasping. Could he see how badly she was dying to push that podium out of the way and wrap her legs around him?

"Any more questions?" He asked, raising his eyebrows as he waited.

Sakura was thankful for the silence that followed. She didn't think she would be able to take much more of this. Just being in his presence was exhausting and she was definitely going to need another trip to the bathroom to splash her face with some cold water. He shrugged and reminded them once again about the final exam time before they were dismissed. Sakura stood, her legs shaking as she stood and picked her book bag up from the floor.

"Oh, Ms. Haruno." His voice made chills roll down her spine and she managed to turn and look at him from over her shoulder. "I need to speak with you about the lab you missed." He said as he erased what he wrote on the whiteboard, keeping his back to her. Sakura didn't know what to say exactly. She had thought they had taken care of her absences last week in his office.

"O-okay."

The rest of the class filed out of the room, picking their earlier conversations back up and not giving a second glance back at Sakura. Once the door was shut, she turned to Kakashi who was making his way to the other door. He gave a nod.

"Follow me to the lab." He said and it was hard to tell if he was being serious or not. There was no hint of flirtatious teasing in his voice and his tone reminded her of the blank way he had spoken to her in his office after she had told him this was all a stupid mistake. She swallowed but grabbed her bag and made her way to the door, letting him lead her across the hall to the darkened lab. He unlocked the door, swung it open and let her walk in as he held it back for her. She couldn't help taking a breath as she passed, closing her eyes as the scent that surrounded him filled her senses and made her dizzy.

It was cold inside the lab and the rain that had been threatening all morning finally came down in heavy sheets that pounded the windows. Kakashi pulled the door shut and said nothing as he crossed over to the lab office. He glanced over his shoulder, raising his scarred eyebrow as if to ask her if she was going to follow him or just stand there staring. She didn't know what to do. Her legs moved on their own, compelled to be close to him, even if he was as menacing as a predator right now.

Being back in the cramped, narrow office brought the memory of her last time here flooding back and her cheeks burned as she glanced to the counter where he had lifted her from the floor. It was hard to think about, especially when she was growing terrified of what he needed to discuss with her about her missed lab. She turned on her heel just as he took the book bag from her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor with a hard thump. She wanted to tell him that her phone was in the bag but the words were stuck in the back of her throat as he turned to met her gaze. His eyes were half-lidded and heady and they threw gasoline on the fire already burning through her.

Kakashi shut the door with one hand and reached for her with the other, looping an arm around her waist. He pulled her against him as the door shut with a click and Sakura gasped, an electric jolt fluttering all through her body at his touch. His hand was in her hair, the other circling around to the small of her back and she barely managed to take a breath before his lips met hers. She could taste his hunger in his kiss, feel his need for her in the way he held her tightly and she melted into his embrace. He was in total control and she let him guide her head to the side so he could open her mouth with his lips. The feel of his tongue across hers made her whimper and she gripped the front of his sweatshirt tightly in her fingers.

His hands were on her ass, lifting her into his arms and she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Her back hit the wall but she barely noticed, too consumed by his kiss to think about anything else. Sakura slid her fingers into the hair at the back of his head as he pulled his lips from hers. He kissed his way across her jaw to her ear and down the side of her neck, driving her absolutely crazy. She let her head fall back as he nipped at the skin covering her collar bone, using his tongue to soothe after each bite. Breathlessly, Sakura felt herself smile.

"What happened to waiting?"

"Oh, we're still waiting." He growled against her, his lips grazing the tender place where her neck met her shoulder. She squirmed a bit but he held her still and continued to use his tongue and teeth to make her gasp. "But, you can't tell me that you touched yourself while thinking about me and expect me not to kiss you."

She could have came right then from his voice and she curled her fingers into his hair, pulling his head back so she could look down at him. His lips were flushed, his breath warm against her face and she was completely enraptured by him as she leaned forward to kiss him again, slower this time. She wanted to savor each second that his lips were against hers, wanted to memorize the way they moved with her own. It did little to cool the heat inside her and she could feel how wet she was already.

She had never felt desire like this before. This was an aching, pure misery that terrified her but she didn't want it to ever stop. Keeping her pinned to the wall with one hand, Kakashi used the other to slip beneath the hem of her shirt. The feel of his cold fingertips made her gasp against his mouth but he didn't stop until he reached the edge of her bra. His thumb passed over the thin fabric, circling around the hardened nipple beneath and her body shuddered, her back arching into him.

He moaned deep in his throat, the sound making her arousal intensify and she nearly cried when he pulled back, ending their kiss. "I need to stop."

"Please, don't." She whispered, the voice in the back of her head begging and crying for him not to leave her aching but she kept quiet.

"Sakura…" His lips met her earlobe and she had to grip his shoulders to keep from shaking. "It's only a few more days." Her feet found the floor again but she didn't let go of him yet. The feel of his arms wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her even closer against him made her close her eyes with a sigh. Kissing him was a dream come true, but having him hold her was unlike anything she could ever imagine. She felt safe in his arms, as if she were a puzzle piece and she fit against him perfectly. He kissed the top of her head and she smiled against his chest. It was hard to believe someone could smell this delicious and make her feel _this good_.

"Do you work tonight?" He asked in a whisper and she nodded against the fabric of his sweatshirt. It was soft and warm against her cheek and she didn't want to pull away. "Will you let me know when you get home?" Again, she gave a nod. It thrilled her that he was concerned about her and she wanted to ask him to meet her tonight and take her home...but, if they had a hard time keeping their hands to themselves in class, there would be no way they'd be able to once they were alone.

She would wait. Not because she wanted to but because he needed her to. And at that moment, there wasn't much she wouldn't do for him. As terrifying as that realization was to her, she truly didn't care. All she wanted was him and if she had to wait ten, fifty or one hundred days...she would.

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AN- Ready for Part 2? ^_^ I know I am! I'll be posting it for a Christmas gift to all you wonderful readers and reviewers! I love everyone of you so much! You have no idea!


	21. Falling

**AN-** Okay, so here is part 2 of my Christmas gift to everyone :D I really hope you like this chapter because I loved writing it.

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Every year, Ino would hold a Christmas party for their friends at her apartment and this year was no exception. People were instructed to bring a gift if they wanted to get one in return and there was usually a copious amount of alcohol flowing through the night. But, this year, Sakura wasn't looking forward to it like she had been the past few years. She knew that spending time with her friends would be a welcome distraction from how badly she was missing Kakashi but, she couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness that clung to her.

She wanted to bring Kakashi, to introduce him to her friends and _be with him_. Seeing Hinata and Naruto, still in the early stages of their relationship when they were absolutely consumed by one another, cozying up was going to make her miserable. The last time she had held him or kissed him had been three days ago and she was starting to have withdrawals. And not just because she was beyond horny.

She wanted to spend time with him, even if it was just in class or talking with one another at the cafe. It was clear that this had moved beyond the realms of physical by now and Sakura wasn't quite sure how it had happened. One minute she was daydreaming about crawling under his desk to put her mouth around his cock and the next she was longing for just a conversation with him that wasn't about classes or grades...or one they didn't have to sneak around to have.

At least she had stopped comparing him and the way he made her feel to her situation with Sasuke. Sakura was thrilled that she had at least gotten over him once and for all. She had taken him out of her phone, deleted his messages and didn't mourn the loss of his pathetic attention at all. It had been a relief, as if a wet blanket had finally been lifted from her shoulders and she could breathe once again.

Of course, now it was Kakashi stealing her breath away. But, in a completely wonderful and amazing way.

Sakura sighed, her breath coming out in a puff of fog as she made her way toward Ino's apartment. She had decided to dress up for the event, wearing a deep red, velvet dress with a scooped neckline that sat nicely against the milky tone of her skin along with some black tights and her favorite boots. She felt as if she looked good but...there was still a strong part of her that wished he could see her tonight. It was the same wish she had been making for the past three days.

Their moment in the lab office had done nothing to satisfy her desire and only made her hunger for him worse...if that was possible. Even now, half way across town from him, her body was crying in need and she had to concentrate on each step she took to keep herself from stumbling to the sidewalk beneath her. She had thought about calling a taxi but her lack of extra funds and the need to clear her head on the way over made her decide against it. The cold night air was doing exactly what she had wanted it to. Despite her every thought being focused on nothing but Kakashi, it was actually not as bad as she had been earlier at home.

She took in a deep breath and blew it out as she looked up at the few stars that weren't washed out by the city lights. She couldn't help think of the things he had said to her about the chemicals in their bodies being made in dying stars. It had been so romantic to hear him say something like that, even though it had been a bit nerdy. She was sure that things like that only happened in the movies or on TV but no. It had happened to her and only made her feel that much more intense about him. How could one person be this amazing? Then again, was he even that great or was she just blinded by how much she lov-

The tip of her boot hit the edge of the sidewalk and she stumbled against a lamp post, clutching it tightly as she tried to gather her composure. She purposefully ignored where her mind was trying to take her and shook the thoughts from her head. No. She couldn't get caught up thinking about him anymore tonight. She was going to go to Ino's party, enjoy herself, and then spend the night alone with a bottle of champagne she planned to steal from her best friend's fridge.

The apartment block came into view around the corner and she picked up the pace, holding the wrapped gift between her side and her elbow. The house next to Ino's was dark and Sakura wondered if Iruka would be attending with Tenten. She hoped so, despite the jealousy she knew would surface at the sight of them.

She could hear the music from the street and couldn't help smile as she made her way up the paved walkway. The door opened before she had even stepped onto the porch and Ino's grinning face greeted her, two full glasses of champagne in her hands. She held one out to Sakura who took it and nearly gulped half of it by the time she had stepped inside. "Easy, Pinky." Ino warned, eyeing her as she shut the door behind them.

There wasn't as many people as there were for the blonde's birthday but the place was still packed. Garland and lights hung all around and Sakura could see mistletoe dangling from every doorway. She made a mental note not to step under it with someone and let Ino take her coat from her shoulder. "Oh, la-la! You look pretty!" She eyed Sakura's dress and winked. "Dressing for someone special?"

"Myself, actually." Sakura grinned before taking another sip of her champagne, welcoming the bubbles that tickled her throat all the way down to her stomach.

"That's what I like to hear!" Ino patted her on the bottom and the two laughed before making their way into the living room. The air around the party was much more enjoyable than the last party she had went to and she was thankful that she didn't have to worry about Sasuke showing up unannounced. Ino had already said she would have his balls if he dared to come within fifty yards of her apartment.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, raising his glass above Hinata's head. He was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol already and the girl under his arm blushed as he pulled her close. There was only a tiny sting of jealousy at seeing them so in love and Sakura settled in beside Ino as she launched into a detailed story about how she had nearly burned the sugar cookies earlier that day. Halfway through her story, Sakura felt her phone vibrate in her hand and she blinked, unsure of who could be texting her. All of her friend's were right in front of her…

That only left one person in particular. The one person that could make her heart beat so fast she couldn't think straight. She glanced down at her phone, tilting it away from Ino who would definitely peek to see who would be messaging Sakura. The two letters she had stored Kakashi's name under appeared and she sucked in a tiny breath.

 ** _KH: Hey_**

"But, thankfully, I had enough time to run to the store and buy some cookies already made." Ino said with a laugh, nodding toward the table of food in the dining room. Blinking, Sakura stood to her feet.

"You know, I'm starving. I'll be right back." Without waiting for a reply from her friend, she crossed the living room and made her way to the food, pretending to look at the spread while she was busy typing back to Kakashi.

 _Hey_

 ** _KH: Are you busy?_**

 _I'm at a Christmas party at my friend's house...the one who lives next to Iruka_

He didn't respond and Sakura frowned, grabbing a few crackers and a cookie before ducking into the kitchen to pour some more champagne. She barely looked up in time before she collided with a taller figure. "Oh!" She said, shocked to see exactly who she had been talking about standing before her. Iruka laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He was dressed nice in a black button down and dark jeans and Tenten matched him in an equally dark jumpsuit. Her hair was down from the usual buns she kept them in and fell in curls around her shoulder. Sakura almost didn't recognize her.

Judging by the pink tint to both of their cheeks, they had been using the privacy of the kitchen to do a bit more than pour drinks. "Hi, Sakura!" Tenten beamed as she ran a hand over her hair to smooth it down. They stood a bit awkwardly next to each other, still unsure whether to hold hands or keep their distance and the tiny prick of jealousy she had felt earlier from seeing Naruto and Hinata magnified now. She longed to be here with Kakashi, blushing as they snuck away to have a quick kiss in the kitchen.

"Hey." She breathed, forcing a sweet smile as she stepped around the counter and grabbed the neck of the champagne bottle. "How long have you two been here?" She asked Ten and quickly took a gulp of the alcohol.

"About an hour. You're a bit late."

"Looks like Hatake's rubbing off on you." Iruka said, making Sakura suck her drink down her throat. She sputtered and coughed, grabbing a handful of napkins from the stack near the sink and wiped the drops of drink from her chin, her throat and face burning. Tenten was at her side in a flash, patting her palm between Sakura's shoulder blades as she recovered…or tried to.

"I'm okay. I just didn't expect it to be so bubbly." She winced at her lie and hoped they thought she was just really awkward. His words had completely caught her off guard, not prepared to hear his name, nor anything about him rubbing off on her. Iruka gave Ten a look out of the corner of his eye and they made sure Sakura was truly alright before making their way back into the living room to join the party. Left alone, she checked her phone for a message.

 ** _KH: He mentioned something about a party tonight. I guess it's the same one?_**

 _Yeah, he's here. I didn't expect to see him, though._

She wanted to add ' _I wish you were here',_ but decided against it and leaned a hip against the cabinets as she sipped her champagne. She listened to the laughter of her friend's as they broke into teams to play a game and she frowned. It was stupid to be hiding away, pining after a guy she couldn't have yet instead of trying to have fun. But, it was so hard watching the couples getting to experience things together, create memories and grow while she was having to hide her relationship. If that even what they had together. She was still unclear about that.

 ** _KH: I'm sure he doesn't even know how lucky he is._**

 _Well, you could come but it might be a bit awkward._

 ** _KH: I'll come if I get to leave with you_**

Sakura's stomach flip flopped inside her and she felt a tremor of excitement roll across her body. She glanced up at the living room where her friends had began a game of charades. No one seemed to be missing her. Kakashi responded before she could type a reply.

 ** _KH: As in, I pick you up and we find something else to do_**

 _Don't tease me...What is it, six more days?_

 ** _KH: I'm not teasing._**

 _Kakashi...I want to but, we have to wait..._

 ** _KH: Hmm. Now I know why you like it when I say your name_**

 ** _Kh: Have fun at the party. Let me know when you want to leave_**

 _Wait, why?_

Several minutes passed without a response and Sakura bit her lower lip. What the hell did he mean by that? Her heart was racing and she stared at her phone, wishing he would just answer her already.

"Sakura-chan! It's your turn!" Naruto called from the living room, breaking her out of her thoughts and she jumped a bit. Faces turned to stare at her and she smiled sheepishly, grabbing her drink before making her way back into the living room.

She managed to make it through two rounds of charades and one karaoke song, despite her mind still focused on the last message he had sent her. Every time a car passed by the front windows, her heart would beat just a bit harder as she imagined it would be him coming to whisk her away from the party. Two hours passed with no response and no one new coming to join and she tried to drown her sorrows in the bottom of her glass but it was no use. The chance of seeing him made her body refuse to get even slightly tipsy. She didn't want him to use any excuse not to kiss her or touch her. She wanted to be clear headed and lucid and sure of every decision she was going to make.

Tenten and Iruka left shortly after karaoke began and Sakura couldn't help wondering if they went back to his apartment together. She didn't want to think about them kissing on his couch, or undressing each other as they went to his bedroom but it was all she could think about. It wasn't fair! She was thrilled for her friend. God knows she needed to get laid but so did Sakura!

For the tenth time in the last minute, she checked the time on her phone. 11:37. Ino would kill her if she left the party this early, especially since they hadn't even began to exchange gifts but she was dying to leave, dying to know what he meant by his last text. She couldn't take it anymore. Having to look at Naruto and Hinata stealing little kisses when they thought no one was looking, unable to stop imagining Iruka and Tenten possibly fucking right now, it was too much and Sakura couldn't take it anymore. She pulled up Kakashi's message and typed quickly.

 _Hey_

 ** _KH: Hi_**

 _I'm ready to leave. But, you better be the one to take me home. I don't want to walk_

 ** _KH: I'll be there in ten minutes_**

Shit. Oh god. She hadn't prepared herself for this. In ten minutes she would be in his car again, alone with him again, and she felt herself panicking a bit. Her fingers started to shake as she held tightly onto her phone and before she could even think, she was on her feet. The sound of Lee singing a horrible rendition of 'These Boots Were Made For Walking' fell away as she rushed into the bathroom in Ino's bedroom. She ran the water and dipped her hands under the faucet, hoping the feel of the cold would help calm her nerves. It didn't.

She quickly dried her hands on the towel and checked the time again. 11:45. He would be there in five minutes and Sakura hurried to get her coat from where Ino had laid it across her bed. She slipped her arms in and made her way back out into the party. A few people noticed her coat and began to protested her leaving. Ino stomped from the kitchen, a bottle of champagne in her hand and an angry look across her face.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to go. I work tomorrow morning." Sakura lied but figured she would come up with a better excuse in the morning to tell her friend.

"The cafe won't even open until 11! Can't you stay for another hour or so?" She really couldn't. The pressure was already building up inside her and if she didn't leave now, she would surely die from this ache. Shaking her head, she pulled Ino in for a hug.

"I'm sorry. I can't." She said a quick goodbye to everyone as her phone vibrated in her hands. Ino followed her to the door, insisting the entire way that she stay or call in sick the next day but Sakura ignored it all. There was nothing that could keep her away from Kakashi right now. Ino pulled the door open with a pout across her bottom lip. "Don't be like that." Sakura said, hugging her tightly.

"You owe me, forehead."

"I promise." She put her phone to her chest as she stepped out onto the porch and smiled back at her friends. Once the door shut behind her, she looked down at her screen and nearly shrieked.

 ** _KH: I'm around the corner_**

 ** _KH: By a dentist office I think_**

Sakura knew which one he meant and hurried down the steps of the porch, taking a left on the sidewalk instead of to the right that would take her back home. The sound of her heels on the concrete echoed in the night and she hoped she still looked as pretty as she had felt earlier in the night. She regretted not checking to make sure her makeup hadn't smeared or her hair was still smooth and combed as it had been. There had been too much chaos in her head for her to think straight before she left Ino's and she pushed her self-conscious thoughts aside as she turned the corner. The sight of his silver car sitting by the curb, headlights low and smoke billowing out of the exhaust, made her breath freeze in her lungs. She pulled her coat tighter around her and hurried across the street.

The interior light didn't come on when she opened the door and she wondered if he had turned it off to keep their meeting a secret. The inside of the car smelled like coffee and she noticed two cups in the cup holders, still steaming, as she slid into the seat. He plucked one of the cups up and handed it to her. "I didn't know how you take your coffee."

"Black is fine." She breathed, unable to form an actual sound and she was thankful for the warmth around her fingertips. "Thank you."

"How was the party?" He turned the headlights back on and shifted gears before pulling out into the street. His question went unanswered for a moment as she sipped from the cup, the liquid a welcome burn to her tongue.

"It was fun. How has your night been?"

He glanced at her, the side of his lips curling into a smirk. "Better now." His voice was low and sent shivers rolling across her body. She turned her gaze away from him, staring down at the coffee cup between her legs. "Are you warm enough?" He asked, reaching for the heat knob just below the radio. Sakura moved before she could even think, taking his hand in hers. The feel of his fingers curling around her knuckles made her body warmer than the heater could ever get her.

And as he drew slow circles across the back of her hand with his thumb, Sakura let her head fall back against the seat. She blinked up at the stars in the sky above them as they momentarily disappeared behind the street lights that zipped past them. "Kakashi?" His name was a whisper on her lips and his fingers tightened around her hand just a bit as she said it.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think the chemicals in us were from the same star?" She swallowed and closed her eyes, not able to bring herself to look at him as she spoke. Her feelings were too intense and she had to force herself to say them. "I-I've felt this undeniable force pushing me to you since we first met. And I tried to ignore it and I tried to stop it. But I couldn't. I think you feel it too."

"I do."

"I didn't understand it until you told me that the things we're made of have always existed. If the iron in my blood and the calcium in my bones were from the same star that made yours, it makes sense that they'd want to be close to each other again."

Kakashi stayed silent but she could feel his heartbeat in the raised vein that ran between his thumb and fingers and it was beating just as fast as hers. She didn't need him to say anything. There wasn't much either could say now and Sakura opened her eyes to see that they were driving out of the city faster than she had realized. She sat up and watched the trees and residential neighborhoods fly by, her fingers still curled between his. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know. I didn't plan that far ahead. I just wanted to see you." He kept his gaze on the road and Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear as she risked a peek at him. In the faint light from the dashboard and passing street lights, he looked incredible. His lips were slightly pursed, as if he were concentrating solely on driving, and she could see there was tension in his jaw. She quickly put her coffee back in the holder beside his and slid closer to him, laying her head against his shoulder. From here she could smell the same scent he wore that drove her mad a bit better and she breathed it in deep.

"Can we go to your house?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper, too scared that he would say no. He nodded and merged the car into the right lane, taking a turn a bit faster than she felt was safe but he kept them in control as she held tightly onto his arm. Familiar streets began to pass and her body tensed as she recognized how close they already were to his home. God, it had been so long since she had seen it that it felt like it had all been a dream. Knowing she was going to actually be _in_ his home now was too much for her poor heart to take. It pounded so hard against her chest she wondered if he could actually hear it.

He took another right and she sat up, holding her breath as he drove down the narrow side street behind the park. It was only another few seconds before the headlights shone on his house, looking just as adorable and perfect as it had the first night she saw it. The only difference was the garage light was on she could see the heads of all of his dogs bouncing by the front window, howling in delight that he was home. Kakashi put the car in park and turned the engine off, finally slipping his hand out of hers. He handed the keyring to her, a simple meal loop with three keys on it.

"The first key unlocks the front door. I'm going to feed the small army of dogs I have and I'll be there in a minute." He smiled at her before stepping out of the car and Sakura hesitated for a moment. He trusted her with his house key? The thought made her grin as she watched him zip his hooded jacket up to his chin and head toward the garage. She grabbed both of their cups and stepped out, unable to stop fantasizing about this being their normal routine. Him going to feed their dogs while she went inside to make dinner. It made her heart ache and she longed for it to be reality.

She juggled the two cups with one arm as she slid the key he had pointed out to her into the lock on his front door. It twisted easily and she held her breath as he pushed it open. It smelled like him, fresh and crisp like he had just stepped out of the shower. There was a lamp on inside the house, giving her just enough light to see down the long hallway she stepped into. There was a closed door to the left and an archway at the end of the hall. She could see a kitchen and a small but nice size living area through the opening. Slowly, she made her way down the hall and found a light switch on the wall that lit the kitchen lights. The counters were black and extremely clean. In fact, his entire house looked as if it were barely lived in. There were no messes, no clutter like she had laying around her apartment.

Sakura set the coffee cups down on counter and took a moment to just breathe. The fact that she was actually standing in Professor Hatake's kitchen seemed unreal. Surely she had fallen asleep at the party and this was all a dream. An amazing dream that she didn't want to wake up from for a long time.

She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest, shivering but not from the cold. She was slightly scared about what was about to happen. He had asked her to wait and she would have gladly waited for him, no matter how much pouting she had been doing. But, it suddenly didn't feel like they were waiting anymore and now that she was standing on the threshold of actually _being with him_ , she was feeling terrified of it. She couldn't even remember the first time she had sex. What if she had been awful? What if she had been so bad it was the reason Sasuke hadn't wanted to ever speak to her again.

Sakura bit the corner of her thumb so hard it was painful and she gasped at the sound of the front door opening. She listened to his footsteps getting closer and closer and her knees nearly buckled at the sight of him coming through the archway. He looked at her with a surprised expression for a moment, as if he were seeing her for the first time. He had that same intensity behind his gaze that he had looked at her with from over the top of his book as he sat on the fountain. She felt her cheeks warm under his scrutiny.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just didn't realize how beautiful you looked tonight." He cleared his throat and took a step closer to her. Sakura inched along the countertop, putting a bit more distance between them despite her body begging her not to. "I can take your coat if you want." He reached a hand out and she reached for the double line of black buttons that ran down the breast of her coat. She slipped the garment off of her shoulders and handed it to him, unprepared for how cold she would be. Now that the alcohol had worn off, she was regretting her choice in a spaghetti strap dress in the middle of winter.

Kakashi stared at her, his eyes roving across her nearly bare shoulders and down to the tights covering her legs. She didn't feel as if he were ogling her like the guy in class who couldn't ever keep his eyes on hers. With him, she felt as if she truly were beautiful and his gazes only made her duck her head in shyness.

He draped her coat over the back of the couch and smiled sweetly at her, tilting his head to the side. "You don't have to stand all the way over there. I'm capable of keeping my hands to myself."

' _Yeah,'_ She thought, ' _but I might not be able to…'_

Pushing away from the counter, she joined him in his living room. There was a faded leather couch that faced a wall of bookshelves with its back to the kitchen and Sakura put her hand on the cold surface as she stood in front of Kakashi. She couldn't see a television but she wasn't surprised. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would watch very much TV. She took a deep breath before finally meeting his eyes. "What now?" She asked quietly.

"I don't know." He stepped closer to her and lifted his hand to her hip, guiding her toward him. She came willingly and gently raked her fingertips up his arms to his shoulders and down the front of his chest. Every bump and dip of his muscles beneath her touch fanned new flames of desire inside her. She didn't feel cold anymore.

"What about waiting?" She whispered, making the mistake in tilting her head back to look into his eyes. The way he stared at her was enough to make her feel as if her panties were melting away from her body. Her chest was pushing against his now and his hand moved teasingly slow around her hips to the top of her ass while his other pushed her hair behind her ear.

"I don't think I can." His words made her eyes close and despite the three inch heel on her boots, she still had to step on her tiptoes to gently kiss his lips. He didn't kiss her back right away and she could sense his apprehension in the tension of his body. But it wasn't long before it dissolved and he was pushing back against her mouth. He kissed her slowly, guiding her head to the side with a hand against her jaw and he was careful not to go too fast. The slow deliberation of his kiss was making her entire body tremble and no matter how much she whimpered against his lips, he didn't change.

He pushed his fingers into her hair, not taking it in his grip like he had in the lab office. He held her softly and his fingers were feather light across her scalp and down to her neck. Every bit of her skin was scorching behind each of his touches and she shuddered as he slipped a finger beneath the strap of her dress and pushed it down her shoulder. She was so focused on his teasing, intoxicating kiss and the feel of his fingers over her bare skin that she hadn't realized that he was guiding her back toward the hallway until he was opening the door that she had seen earlier. She gasped against his lips and he pulled away at her hesitation.

His hand was still against the very bottom of her back and she could feel the tips of his fingers along the waist of her panties. He was being so careful with her. It was such a change from the hungry way he seemed to devour her the other times they had been together. Sakura glanced from him to the darkness of the room he had lead her to. She could see the outline of fireplace along the opposite wall and a closet right behind the door but it was the sight of his bed pushed into the corner that made her freeze.

Kakashi dipped his head and kissed along her shoulder, over the strap of her dress that he hadn't taken down yet. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for." He whispered against her skin and Sakura felt herself shiver. She appreciated his thoughtfulness and was thankful for his words...but, she was more than ready for this. Her fear wouldn't stop her.

She took his hand in hers and pulled him into the bedroom, loving the way he was looking at her. She could see so much hunger in his stare but he was careful not to be too aggressive. He nudged the door shut with the heel of his foot and reached over to turn a lamp on that sat on his bedside table. It wasn't very bright, enough to read by but it covered the room in a soft glow.

Kakashi closed the distance between them and moved her toward the bed until the back of her legs hit the mattress. His hands were on her hips again and he gripped the fabric of her dress tightly as he put his forehead against hers. They were breathless though they hadn't even went beyond the kiss from earlier. Sakura's fingers trembled as she ran them down the length of his chest and to his waist. She wanted to slip them beneath his shirt and feel those muscles that he had teased her with the night they had sent pictures back and forth. She wanted to drag her tongue across his chest and stomach, down to the line of silver hair beneath his navel.

"Sakura…" He whispered, his breath warm across her face and she closed her eyes to the sound of her name. She knew he was asking her permission but she couldn't move, couldn't think or speak and needed a second to calm down. Biting the inside of her bottom lip, she nodded and felt as if she were falling away from him as he dipped her toward the bed. She bounced against his mattress and sat up on her elbows as he stayed standing. He pulled his shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the floor and Sakura felt her jaw drop at the sight of him. He didn't give her much time to stare as he dropped to his knees in front of her.

Her leg lifted in his grasp and he slowly pulled her boots free from both feet. The feel of his hands against her ankles made her shiver and she let her head fall back as he traced a line over her knees and up her thighs to where her skirt sat. Kakashi crawled up the bed, pulling her legs apart so that he could lay between them. She let him take her hands and hold them above her head as he kissed across her chest, down to the space between her breasts before coming back up to meet her lips. He slid a hand beneath her and lifted her from the bed, kissing her hungrily as his hands caressed her back. "How do I get this dress off?" He murmured against her mouth and Sakura grinned as she realized he had been searching for a zipper.

"Just pull it off."

She sat up and pulled the skirt up to her hips, letting him take it the rest of the way. It wasn't a dress she could wear a bra with and as the fabric left her body, she brought her arms around her bare chest. If he noticed her shyness, he didn't mention it. He gently pushed her back to the bed and pulled her arm away from herself. She watched his eyes move over her breasts down to her bare stomach where her tights sat across her hips. He looked up at her once more for permission before he undressed her completely. Sakura nodded and raised up to her elbows to watch him.

He slid a hand inside her tights and panties and pushed them down her hips, careful not to even come close to touching where she was dying for him to go. As he reached her knees, she realized she had neglected to re-shave her legs that morning. She had taken care of it the day before but they weren't as smooth as she wanted them to be. Kakashi didn't seem to even notice and he kissed across her shin and to the inside of her knee as her tights and panties completely left her body. She was naked, laying in his bed, and he was kissing his way up her legs. All thoughts of body hair and insecurities melted away and all she could think about was the feel of his warm mouth moving further toward the apex of her thighs.

Kakashi pulled her knees further apart and pulled her to the edge of the bed, making her gasp sharply and look down her naked body at him. He smirked wickedly before he held her thighs as far as they would go apart and dipped his head toward her. Sakura arched away from the bed, covering her face with her hands. The feel of his mouth against her nearly made her come undone right then. She had dreamed of this moment for a while and none of her fantasies compared to this. His tongue skimmed her lips agonizingly slow before dipping between her folds to search for her sweet spot.

Sakura gasped as he found her clit, lapping gently against it. He made circles with the tip of his tongue and just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, he would flatten it against her and lick long strokes up and back down. She reached between her thighs and took hold of his hair, panting hard. She felt him grin against her lips before he moved back to the circles, pausing briefly to suck at the slick, sensitive bud. It was all driving her crazy and it wasn't long before she let her head fall back against the bed. She stared up at his ceiling, her mouth open but was unable to gasp or moan or even breathe.

She mouthed for him not to stop but she wasn't sure if she had even made a sound. He kept the pace though, drawing his tongue up and down, up and down and Sakura couldn't help but roll her hips against his mouth with every motion. The tightness inside her grew hot and was almost unbearable to stand any longer. Kakashi groaned, the sound vibrating his tongue against her and Sakura pushed her fingers into her hair, nearly arching completely from the bed. She cried out suddenly, unable to hold back. She came and pleasure coursed through her body like a wildfire, consuming her entire being in its path. He held her tightly against him as he lapped up the wetness of her orgasm.

It continued to roll through her like waves and she gasped and searched for her breath as she squirmed away from him, clamping her legs shut tightly. She could hear him chuckling but couldn't move, couldn't think beyond breathing and trying to make sure she didn't momentarily pass out. Peeking out from beneath her fingers, she looked up at him as he stood to his feet. His smirk made her laugh crazily.

"Was that better than what you had the other night?"

She nodded but wasn't interested in flirting or playing along. Despite the intensity of her orgasm, she wanted more, needed to feel him inside her. Sakura sat up and reached for him, pulling at the belt around his waist. He seemed to sense her urgency and when her trembling fingers couldn't pull the strip of leather from the buckle, he took over. She grabbed the button before the belt had even hit the floor and pulled his jeans free. The sight of his red boxers beneath the denim made her heart pound like a drum and she could only watch as he pushed his jeans down his thighs.

Her mouth watered at the sight of the outline of his cock behind the fabric and she slid to the edge of the bed, putting her feet on the floor. She looked up at him as she curled her fingers around the waistband, waiting for him to tell her she could just as he had with her. Kakashi nodded and watched as she pulled his boxers down his hips. His cock bounced free and she couldn't help her eyes going wide. It looked much bigger than she remembered but she was dying to taste it. Glancing back up at him, Sakura inched forward and opened her mouth. Before she could even touch him to her lips, Kakashi took her by the shoulders.

"Wait. If you do that I'm not going to want to stop…" He pulled her to her feet and Sakura blinked up at him, the feel of him pressing hard against her making her breathless. Kakashi turned them so that he was now sitting on the edge of the bed. He took Sakura by the hand and guided her back to him. She put her knees on either side of his hips and hovered for a moment, the tip of his cock barely grazing her. She gripped his shoulders to keep herself from trembling to the floor and searched his eyes.

He took her hips in his hands and lowered her down until he was pushing inside her. There was a brief moment of pain as she had to adjust to fitting him inside her but it soon passed and he filled her so completely she thought she could come again. She opened her mouth and took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around his neck before she could even think about moving. Kakashi's breathing was fast and he pressed a line of kisses from her neck to her shoulder, his hands bringing her hips back up. Sakura whimpered but he was gentle and careful not to go too fast. He guided her a few more times before she was able to match his rhythm.

The feel of his cock sliding back and forth inside of her was exquisite and she felt little tremors of pleasure all over her body. She was shaking but it was more from the intense sensations she had never felt before.

"Fuck." Kakashi growled, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. "We need a condom...otherwise I'm not going to be able to last very long."

Sakura shook her head, the thought of stopping this seemed bizarre. Why would he ever want to stop feeling something this amazing? She found her voice. "I'm on birth control and I really don't want to stop."

"Fuck." This time the word was more drawn out, turning into a moan and Kakashi found her hips again, moving them up and back down over him. He felt so slick and full inside her and Sakura could only gasp. She pushed off of his chest and leaned back to put her hands on his knees. It was easier for her to gain control in this angle and she rolled her hips and thrust against him as he laid back on the bed. She watched him push his hands into his hair, gripping it tightly as she rode him a bit faster now.

Sakura gasped as she felt him growing harder inside her and she brought her hips down onto his even harder now, fucking him exactly how she had been dying to the last few months. Their breaths were fast and desperate and Sakura focused on the look on Kakashi's face. His brows were drawn together and his lips parted, a moan deep in his throat. "Are you going to come for me, Kakashi?" She asked breathlessly. He could only nod and Sakura grinned as she kept going. Her body ached and was desperate for rest but she didn't dare stop now. She focused on his face, loving the way he was gasping for breath.

She felt him coming inside her, his cock shuddering over and over and she slowed finally down, rocking against him as he groaned and gasped her name. Sakura sat up and put her hands on his sweat dampened chest. Before she could even blink, Kakashi sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist. His fingers danced along her spine and she could taste herself on his lips as he kissed her. He was still inside her when she pulled away, unable to hide the smile that stretched across her lips.

"Oh, god. I didn't expect that." He said, laughing against her shoulder as he kissed her collarbone.

"Why? Was it better than what you had the other night?" She teased him the same way he had her earlier and he playfully nipped at her flesh. Kakashi looked up at her and smoothed her damp hair from her face.

"Can you stay the night?"

Sakura nodded, her heart feeling as if it were being filled with warmth at the look of delight in his eyes. She pulled him close to her and kissed his temple, tasting salt against her lips. She wasn't sure if it was the high she was still riding from her orgasm or just being so close to him but she was pretty sure that this crush was no longer a crush. She had fallen.

* * *

 **AN-** Okay, now for the bad news. I won't be updating as frequently as I have been lately. January and February are horribly busy months for me and the updates will be a bit more spaced out. But, don't worry. There's plenty more KakaSaku love/smut coming. I just love these two so much .


	22. Morning After

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"Sakura..." Her whispered name broke through her sleep and she opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room around her. She blinked and started to sit up, her heart racing before memories of the night before came racing back to her. Kakashi picking her up, taking her to his house, being on top of him in his bed...It all made her face burn and she turned to look behind her.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed in a pair of dark sweat pants and a hooded sweatshirt. He looked warm and cozy and she sleepily reached for him, rolling onto her side to slip her arms around his waist. With a chuckle, he leaned back on his pillows and kissed the top of her head. "Why are you dressed?" She asked, burying her face in the thick material of his hoodie.

"I'm going for a run. I just wanted to tell you so you didn't wake up alone." His thoughtfulness made her heart squeeze in her chest and she tightened her grip around his shirt, not wanting to let go. He didn't pull away just yet and Sakura looked up at him.

His hair was still a bit tousled from his pillows and she wanted nothing more than to reach up and run her fingers through it. Instead, she glanced back at the windows and frowned at the dull, gray light peeking in from beneath his curtains. It looked far too early in the morning to be awake and she wondered if she could convince him to stay in bed. He was already slipping his arm out from under her and she brought the blankets around her chest, still shy despite his face being between her legs not even 8 hours earlier.

"Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a bit."

There would be no going back to sleep for her and she sat up completely, hoping her hair didn't look too crazy or her makeup wasn't smeared as badly as she suspected it to be. "I'm awake." She said as she stifled a yawn behind her hand. She brought her knees to her chest and rest her head on top, watching him slip his feet into a pair of sneakers. He gave her a smile that made her toes curl and she really wished he would come back to bed now. The thought of recreating the night before sounded amazing. Instead, he pointed to a shirt he had laid out at the foot of the bed.

"I pulled you out a shirt that should probably fit you. And, if you want to take a shower, the bathroom is right across the hall." She nodded and smiled up at him as he made his way back to the bed. He leaned down, taking her face in his hands before kissing her gently across the lips. All of the desire that had nearly consumed her the night before came flooding back and Sakura sighed against his mouth. "I'll be back in just a bit." He whispered before turning to the door, giving her one last smile before disappearing around the corner.

She listened for the front door opening and could hear him outside, letting his dogs out of the garage. They yipped and barked happily and soon, the sound of their excitement faded away and Sakura was left in the quiet of his house.

It felt so strange to be there, in his bed, waking up next to him...Strange, but so good. She put her face to the sheets and inhaled his scent, wishing she could be wrapped up in them for hours. After several minutes, she slid to the edge of the bed and lifted the black T-shirt he had set out for her, tracing her fingers across the bright, blue letters across the front spelling out 'Konoha U'. In the euphoria of waking up in his bed, she had momentarily forgotten that she wasn't supposed to be here.

She was still his student after all, and though she didn't know all of the rules for a student teacher relationship, she was certain they had broken nearly every one of them by now. The realization that this happiness she had found could come crashing down around them terrified her. For a brief moment, she thought about getting dressed and leaving. It would be better for him if she just disappeared. At least, that way he could keep his career and not lose it all for nothing.

She pursed her lips and shook her head, hating how insecure she instantly became in the face of something unpleasant. No one suspected anything. Sure, they had been careless before, sneaking around in the classrooms but, she knew they could make this work if they were careful. More than that, she _wanted_ this to work, wanted it more than anything she could ever remember wanting. She knew they had more to come than what they had already shared. She could feel it in her bones.

Sakura took the shirt and draped it across her still bare chest before she tiptoed toward the hall to the bathroom. The tile floor was freezing cold to her feet and she hurried to the bath rug in front of the shower. Everything around her was Kakashi and she felt her breath hold tight in her throat. His toothbrush on the sink, the various products neatly lined along the shelf over the toilet...Sakura was completely surrounded by him and she dropped the T-shirt to her side, feeling warmer just from the thought of him. She pictured him getting ready every morning, looking in his mirror, brushing his teeth and fixing his hair.

Sakura stepped to the sink and ran her fingers over the faucet and up to the corner of the mirror. It easily came free from the wall and she peeked inside the medicine cabinet, unable to stop herself from being just a bit nosy. There was nothing bizarre or out of the ordinary and she sighed, not sure what she expected. She shut the mirror back and turned to the shower behind her. There were only three bottles on the rack behind the shower head and Sakura plucked the middle one. Kakashi's conditioner. So, that's how his hair was so soft.

She giggled as she popped the lid up and sniffed the opening. It immediately made the inside of her stomach flutter and she sighed, excited that she could possibly smell him all day on her. She started the water and waited for the steam to build before stepping inside. The water pressure was ten times better than in her apartment and she stood under the spray for as long as she could. Kakashi's soap and shampoo smelled delicious and she lathered her entire body in it, wanting to cover every inch in him. She rinsed and quickly stepped out, grabbing a towel from the closet just inside the bathroom. Each one was folded damn near perfectly and Sakura knew that she'd have to clean her whole apartment before he stepped foot inside it. Compared to his, her home was a cluttered wreck.

She dried off and pulled on the same underwear she had worn the night before and slipped his shirt over her head. It was only as she tossed the towel in the hamper beside the sink did she realize that she should have waited for him to return so they could shower together. The thought of seeing his naked body glistening in the heated shower made her whimper and she cursed herself for not waiting.

Mourning the thought of missing such a glorious sight, she decided to distract herself by picking up her scattered clothes in his bedroom. She scooped up her stockings and dress, hiding a giggle behind her hand as she remembered the way he had taken it off of her the night before. It made her breathless, her mind wandering to the feel of his hands across her body and the look on his face as she had fucked him.

Sakura glanced back at the bed and wanted to crawl back beneath the sheets, to wait on him to come back from his run. She wondered what he would smell like, taste like. Instead, she made her way back into the living room where her coat was still draped over the back of the couch. She set her folded clothes down beside it and fished her phone out of the front pocket to check for any messages. There was nothing but the time display blinking up at her and she breathed a sigh of relief before setting it down on the table next to the couch.

Sakura reached beneath the lamp shade and turned the bulb off before sitting down in front of the shelves of books that lined the wall. Titles that stretched all the way across the spines with words she wasn't sure how to pronounce lined each shelf and she danced her fingers across them. Had he read all of these? Sakura smiled to herself. Of course, he had. She could picture him sitting alone, reading through each of them with his dogs piled around him in the living room. And she could easily place herself in that vision, sitting on the couch next to him, reading along. No. Kakashi would read it aloud to her and she would drift asleep as he would twirl his fingers through her hair and describe things so complex they wouldn't sound possible.

Sakura closed her eyes, overcome with just how badly she longed for it to be real. Her chest felt so full she was afraid she'd burst. It felt so close, as if she could look back at the tan, leather couch behind her and see them both laying there, his arm around her as she dozed on his chest.

The sound of the front door opening made her start and she sat back on her heels, whipping her head toward the hallway. Footsteps tapped along the tile floor and she listened as they paused by the bedroom door for a brief moment. "Sakura?" Kakashi called out and she breathed a sigh of relief, glad it wasn't anyone else.

"I'm in here." She called out softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. She rose to her feet and suddenly felt very self conscious wearing nothing but his T-shirt that barely came to her thighs. Her cheeks burned as he stepped from the hallway, his eyes meeting hers instantly. Drops of water sat along the shoulders of his jacket, and she glanced to the windows. "Is it raining?"

"Snowing, actually." He blinked, as if her voice had pulled him out of a trance. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded, hugging her arms around her waist. The flicker of his eyes down her body made a shiver fall down her spine and she ducked her head. "Let me take a shower and I'll make you some breakfast when I get out."

"Okay."

He turned and Sakura listened for the sound of the bathroom door closing and the water running soon after before she moved. She tiptoed to the kitchen and peeked inside the fridge. It was stocked exactly how she pictured; everything placed neatly in the designated drawers and shelves. She couldn't help think of her own fridge, which was begging to be cleaned out and restocked. Maybe his organization and cleanliness would rub off on her. She shut the door, standing with her back to the counter as she listened to the water of his shower. Every few so often she'd hear the snap of a bottle opening and she tried to picture what he looked like lathering his soap all over his body. His shower was much shorter than hers and she chewed the inside of her lip, hoping she hadn't wasted too much of his water.

Kakashi moved from the bathroom to his bedroom to get dressed and Sakura's heart rate increased as she heard him coming down the hall once again. He looked to the bookshelves for her and she took the split second he was turned to study him. His hair was wet, making it look just a bit darker, and slicked back messily, as if he had just combed his fingers through it. She felt her knees wobble at the sight of him. He was shirtless with the same grey sweatpants she recognized from the picture he had sent her a few nights ago.

She reached back to hold onto the countertops as he turned toward her, his lips lifting into a half smile. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes once more moving down her body and back up. "I really like seeing you in my shirt."

"I like wearing it." She could barely get the words out. It was still a bit hard for her to believe she was actually in his home, wearing his shirt, and looking at his bare chest, still dripping from the shower. She didn't want to pinch herself. If this was a dream, it was one she did not want to wake up from. "It smells like you."

Kakashi came toward her, taking her hips in his hands and moving her into the corner of the counter tops. He dipped his head toward her neck and took a deep breath, his lips barely grazing across the slip of skin between her shoulder and his shirt. " _You_ smell like me. I like it." He murmured against her throat, kissing up to her chin but just before she could feel his lips on hers, he pulled away.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Mm, you're such a tease."

Kakashi stepped to the fridge and pulled the door open, grinning as he looked inside at the contents. His mouth opened, but a faint buzzing sound cut his words off. Both he and Sakura glanced to the side table where she had sat down her phone. Someone was calling her this early in the morning? The sudden fear that it might be work made her stomach clench. Should she ignore it? What if it was an emergency?

"I think you're wanted." He said with a smirk though she could tell he was a bit annoyed they had been interrupted. Quickly, Sakura crossed to the table and snatched her phone up. It wasn't work. It was something else that made her eyes go wide and stomach drop to the floor.

Her mother.

She swiped the screen to answer it, giving Kakashi a single, nervous glance before she hurried into the hallway for privacy. Her heart was racing from the irrational fear that her mother would know that she had spent the night with a man. "Hello?" She answered quickly, hoping she didn't sound too nervous.

"Hi, sweetie. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, I've been awake for a while." Sakura looked over her shoulder toward the kitchen and could hear him pulling something from the fridge. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping her parents wouldn't be able to hear him. "What's up?"

"Your dad and I are coming into town today to do a little bit of last minute shopping. We thought we'd stop by and have lunch before you start studying for finals."

Shit. She had forgotten about her two finals scheduled for the next day. Sakura chewed her bottom lip and wracked her brain for any possible excuse to give her. She couldn't say she was working. Knowing them, they'd pop into the cafe to see her there. It was no use. She was coming up empty and as much as she wanted to see her parents, the thought of leaving Kakashi's made her shoulders slump in disappointment. "Yeah, that sounds good." Sakura swallowed her nerves. "What time did you want to meet?"

"Well, I'll just call you when we get into town and we can pick you up."

They said their goodbyes and Sakura sighed, clutching her phone to her chest as she rest her forehead against the wall. She had been so looking forward to making her fantasy from earlier come true. Shaking her hair from her face, she stepped back into the kitchen and set her phone down on the countertop.

"Everything okay?" Kakashi asked from over his shoulder, clearly curious as to who she had been talking to. His tone hinted at something a bit more than curiosity. Was he jealous? Surely he didn't think she had other men on the side. How could she want anyone else but him?

"Yeah, some guy from class wants to hook up later." Sakura watched him closely, studying the way his jaw clenched as he whipped his head around to face her. As soon as he saw the grin on her face he narrowed his eyes and wagged a finger at her.

"That's not funny." He looked angry, but she could see the slight curl at the corner of his lips. It made heat slip through her like a river and she watched him step closer. Her fingers lifted on their own, reaching for his bare chest. His skin was soft and warm and Sakura wanted to feel every inch of his body beneath her fingers.

"Are you jealous, Professor Hatake?"

Kakashi put a hand around her hips, pushing her against him so her hands were trapped between both of their bodies. She could feel how fast her heart was beating against the back of her hand. He curled a finger beneath her chin and lifted her head so that she was looking up into his face. The look across his eyes stole her breath and she could only blink, too stunned to attempt to speak. In one glance, Sakura could see so much of what she felt staring back at her; an all consuming hunger that seemed to be burning through him.

"Horribly jealous." He murmured, his lips brushing against Sakura's. She let her eyes flutter closed as he slid his fingers through her hair. "I want you all to myself."

"I'm yours." She whispered, dying to feel his kiss against her lips. She pushed herself up on her tiptoes but Kakashi pulled back and dropped his face to her throat. He smiled, his breath warm against her skin. It drove her crazy but she was loving the madness.

"Tell me we have the whole day together." His voice made her toes curl and she gripped his shoulders to keep herself from slipping from his grip. Before she could answer, he scooped her up and slid her ass across the counter top. Sakura's jaw dropped as he pulled her legs around his waist so she could feel how hard he was beneath his sweatpants. She nodded, already losing her breath but a voice in the back of her mind instantly corrected her. No. They didn't have the whole day together. The conversation with her mother flashed through her mind and she sighed.

"My parents are in town. They want to have lunch with me." But, I can cancel , she wanted to add but bit her lip to keep the words from slipping out. She couldn't blow her own parents off no matter how amazing an entire day spent in Kakashi's bed was starting to sound. He put his forehead against her shoulder but kept his hands firmly gripped around her ass.

"I was afraid of that. How long before you have to leave?"

"Maybe two hours." She curled her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, her entire body buzzing with anticipation, begging for his touch and kiss. Her nipples were already hard and she couldn't ignore the dampness of her panties.

"We should probably make those two hours count, then." He whispered against her earlobe, making her squirm and gasp. She nodded as he took hold of her shirt and lifted it over her head, tossing it to the floor by the fridge. The cold did little to cool her heated skin and she no longer felt the need to cover herself. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted his face to hers, kissing her.

* * *

Kakashi glanced up at the class for the hundredth time in the last minute, his eyes flickering briefly over the tops of heads bent over the Bio-Chem final until they landed on a particular color pink that he was beginning to adore. He let his gaze linger over her for a bit longer than the others, studying the way she stared down at her test, chin resting in the palm of her hand as if she were almost bored with it. He felt a tiny sting to his pride though it didn't last long. No matter how difficult he made his tests, she always seemed to find them easy enough.

In the beginning it had bothered him but not anymore. Now, he had to stop himself from grading her tests first, had to tell himself not to stare at her in class even though he thought she was absolutely gorgeous. He couldn't wait until the second he put her final grade into the system and he no longer had to be her Professor.

He couldn't wait to be more.

Though, he supposed, they already were. The corner of his lips lifted as he looked back down at his gradebook and he pursed his lips to keep from smiling. It didn't work very well.

He had to get his mind off of her. At least for the next few days. He had so much work to catch up on, finals all week and a deadline for grades to be in by Thursday night, that he hoped would keep his mind on track and not drifting back to how it felt to be inside her. He pushed his hand through his hair and shook his head. How was he supposed to concentrate on anything else?

He couldn't get her out of his head. He had fallen asleep thinking about her and woke up wishing she was still in his bed, her hair splayed out across his pillows and her body warm against his. And the longer he laid there, the harder he got thinking back to how beautiful she had looked as she fucked him. There was no way he could even think about getting out of bed without touching himself. He had came quickly and though it didn't come close to how it had felt inside her, he was surprised that it hadn't taken very long. He would much prefer the real thing but it seemed that when it came to Sakura, he couldn't help himself.

Before her, he couldn't remember the last time he had jerked off. And now, it was nearly a once a day occurance, always with her on his mind.

Kakashi bit the inside of his lip, cursing the slight twitch of his cock in his pants. How had he not gotten enough yet? He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and his heart nearly beat out of his chest at the sight of her green eyes on him. She smiled sweetly with a wink that made him glad he was sitting down. It would be rather embarrassing to fall out in front of the entire class because a beautiful girl winked at him.

Time ticked on slowly and as each student stood up to drop their test on his desk, he wondered why Sakura wasn't finished yet. She was usually the first one done with the tests, handing it in with a smile that had always made his stomach flip flop. But, today she was taking her time.

The thought of being alone with her again made him even harder but he knew it was far too risky to try to sneak back into the lab. Just spending ten minutes to make out with her had been dangerous and he had been terrified someone would see them coming out of the empty room together. Of course, no one had. No one paid much attention to him but that didn't mean they wouldn't find it a bit strange if he kept taking Sakura back into an empty lab office.

Despite how badly he wanted to swipe the tests off of his desk and lay her down on it, he knew they had to show some restraint. It was only four days. Four days until he was no longer her Professor and he could be with her without the fear of being caught. Their relationship would still be forbidden but they wouldn't be facing such dire consequences if she were still receiving a grade from him.

It was tricky, but he was willing to try. For her.

The last test slid across his desk and he put his hand on the page to keep it from slipping to the floor, glaring up at the punk who had asked Sakura out a few weeks ago. He had stopped caring about his grade a while back and Kakashi couldn't help watching him as he walked out, making sure he didn't even look her way. The door shut with a click and Kakashi sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as she looked up at him.

Sakura stood, taking her test between her fingers as she made her way toward him. He couldn't help watching the slight sway of her hips as she sauntered to the desk. She held the paper out for him to take. He took it but she didn't let go just yet.

"I guess this means I'm no longer your student."

"Technically, you have until Thursday night when I submit the grades." Kakashi smirked, plucking the test from her fingers. He set it on the stack and watched the way her lips curled up into a smile.

"So, _Professor_ ," Fuck, he loved that way too much. "Should we celebrate?" Sakura leaned over his desk, her arms pressing her breasts together slightly. It was enough to make him want to say fuck it and carry her across the hall to the lab office. He sighed, closing his eyes as he tried to not focus on how badly he wanted to fuck her.

"Despite how much I would love that, we should probably wait."

"Until Thursday?" She asked, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. He wanted to grab her and pull her into his lap so he could bite it instead. He opened his mouth to respond but a soft knock at the door made both of them whip their heads to the side. His heart pounded hard in his chest and he resisted the urge to grab at it. The sight of Shikamaru standing on the other side of the glass made him sigh in relief.

Sakura cleared her throat as the door opened and she tapped her test that was sitting on top of the stack. "So, grades should be in Thursday night?" She walked backwards to her desk, glancing down to her bag before she scooped it up and slipped it over her shoulder.

"Thursday. Yep." Kakashi cleared his throat, hoping Shikamaru didn't notice the crack in his voice or how warm his cheeks were becoming. But, thankfully, he seemed oblivious to any of the sexual tension that was clearly hanging in the air of the classroom. He gave a small nod toward Sakura as she turned and made her way to the door.

Kakashi watched her leave, everything his TA was saying going in one ear and out the other. He watched as she pulled the door behind her, her eyes flickering back to his for just a brief second. It was enough though. He could see in her gaze what they hadn't gotten to say to one another. _See you Thursday._

* * *

 **AN** \- Hah. I was totally going to make them fuck but I didn't want it to be too much...especially with what Thursday will bring ^_^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter. A little bit more from Kakashi's POV and he will have the next chapter as well!


	23. Please

The wind was biting as it nipped at any exposed skin on Sakura's body. She was thankful for the thick coat and the warm cup of coffee in her hand as she made her way across the campus toward that familiar building she had grown to adore. Three months ago, she had thought it was a monstrosity but now...she looked forward to seeing it almost as much as her own home.

She had grown to love the moment she walked through the glass, double doors and inhaled the sharp smells wafting from the labs. It always made her think of Kakashi. Even though he smelled nearly a thousand times better than anything she had ever smelled in a Chemistry lab, she couldn't help associate him with it.

And today was no different.

She slipped into the doors of the science building behind a group of girls making their way from their final exams and stomped the snow from her boots on the mat. The classroom that she had sat in every Monday for the past four months was dark and empty today and Sakura couldn't help the small smile that curled at her lips. It had been two days since she had turned her exam into him, two days since she had seen him. She was going absolutely crazy.

Despite the amount of texting they had been doing since Monday, she was still craving more. Sexting only got her so far. She was dying for the real thing. And since she was officially finished with this semester, she figured she could spend her afternoon off by dropping by on her favorite professor to see if he had graded her exam. Which, he had. He had told her the night before that she had made a 98 and that she had the highest grade of any final exam he had ever given. It had thrilled her to know he was impressed by it and she wondered if the need to make him proud of her would ever fade. If it made her feel this good each time, she couldn't be too sure.

Hurrying past the classrooms on the ground floor, she hoped her excuse to see her grade wouldn't be too suspicious. Usually at the end of a semester, she was confident that she had made well and would wait to see her grades once they were posted online. But, her circumstances were far different than any other class she had ever taken before. She was dying to see him again, hear his velvet voice whisper against her ear...

Sakura had to stop herself from taking the steps two at a time, calming herself with slow, deep breaths as she made her way to the third floor of offices. There was laughter coming from the door on her left and she hesitated, hoping it wouldn't look strange for her to be there. Especially after she had been to see him in his office three separate times now. Surely, it wasn't unheard of. She knew she had been in Shizune's office far more than this before in a single semester.

Swallowing her nervousness, she made her way past the door, glancing in quickly to see Kakashi's colleagues gathered around a computer screen. Whatever they were watching had them laughing quite loudly and Sakura was thankful that they were so distracted. Just as she turned to look away, a pair of crimson eyes lifted from the computer and caught Sakura by surprise. Professor Yuhi tilted her head and watched Sakura pass by the door with a curious expression. Time seemed to slow to a stop as they stared at one another and the younger of the two had to force her feet to keep her moving past the door until she could no longer see the woman.

A twist inside Sakura's stomach made her bite her lip and she gripped the coffee cup in her hand just a bit tighter. It wasn't weird to find out what her grade was, she reassured herself. It was completely normal. There was nothing suspicious about what she was doing.

Shaking her hair from her face, she stepped up to Kakashi's office door and peeked inside the narrow window. He was at his computer, turned away from her as he typed at the keyboard. The sight of his reading glasses sitting low on his nose made her grin and she quickly tapped her knuckles across the door.

He looked up at her from over the top of his frames and the butterflies inside Sakura's stomach were sent into a frenzy. It should be illegal for one man to be this good looking. And it was absolutely criminal that he had the power to make her feel as if her bones had turned to jelly inside her. His finger curled, beckoning her inside as the corner of his lips lifted in a mischievous grin. This time, Sakura was sure she would melt to the floor. She struggled to keep herself upright as she twisted the doorknob.

"What are you doing here?" He asked quietly as Sakura slipped inside and shut the door behind her with a soft click. She hadn't realized that her fingers had started trembling until the coffee in her hands was sloshing out of the slit in the lid. She pressed a hand to the bottom of the cup to steady it and stepped up to his desk.

"I brought you coffee."

Kakashi looked at the cup as she held it out to him before glancing back up at her. He took it and the smile across his pale lips widened, making her sure that her knees would soon buckle if she didn't sit down. Sakura sank into the chair across from his desk and watched him take a sip from the lid. "Are you bribing your professor for a higher grade, Ms. Haruno?."

God, she loved his flirty moods, though she didn't know if she could bring herself to flirt back with how nervous she was to be alone with him while so many people were right down the hallway. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she gave a small shrug. "Well, you know. A girl has to try." Sakura glanced to the cup in his hands. "I hope it's okay. I tried to remember how you took your coffee from the one time you ordered one."

"I'm impressed. That was quite a while ago." Kakashi placed the cup down on the desk and glanced over her shoulder to the window in his door before reaching for her hand. His fingers slipped beneath hers and she closed her eyes as he smoothed his thumb over the top of her knuckles. Sakura gripped the edge of her chair tightly; mostly to keep herself from leaping across the desk.

"Mm, I've missed touching you." He murmured, his words and voice making her entire body tremble. She had wanted this, but hadn't expected it to actually happen. He was usually so cautious about this sort of thing. It was nice, if not terrifying. She couldn't help think back to the professor who had glanced up at her as she had walked by and Sakura let her eyes open to see Kakashi staring at her face. The heat behind his gaze made her suddenly forget how to breathe and she turned her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

"Kakashi…" She whispered, knowing they were playing a very dangerous game right now. Was coming to see him a mistake? Half of her wanted to remind him that they definitely weren't alone on this floor while her other half just wanted him. Before she could decide what to do, a howl of laughter echoed through the hallway outside his door, snapping them from the daze they had fallen into. His fingers left hers and she took a deep breath, pulling her hand into her lap to keep herself from reaching out for him again.

He cleared his throat and ran a hand over his hair. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't let myself get carried away." He pulled his glasses from his face and tossed them to the desk next to his keyboard before smiling at her.

Sakura wanted to tell him that she would love for him to get carried away with her but bit her tongue and nodded toward the screen. "Are you already putting your grades in?"

"I was, yes. I figured, if I can put most of them in today, I can be free tomorrow evening." He gave her a look that made her toes curl inside her boots and she ducked her head, biting the inside of her lip. She slid closer to the edge of her chair until her knees were pushing against the back of his desk.

"Well, if you don't have any other plans tomorrow evening, you could always come over to my apartment and-"

The door opened behind her and Kakashi whipped his head up, staring hard at the person from over the top of Sakura's head. She glanced over her shoulder to see a sheepish Professor Sarutobi smiling sheepishly. "Oops, sorry. I didn't know you were in the middle of a meeting."

"Its fine. I was just leaving." Sakura turned back to share a quick glance with Kakashi, mouthing the words 'text me' to him. He didn't acknowledge her with anything more than a small nod and she hurried out into the hallway, slipping past the man who had interrupted them. Her heart was a frenzied drumbeat in her chest and she kept her eyes on the stairwell at the end of the hallway to keep her from passing out.

Thirty seconds earlier, and they for sure would have been caught. But, would his friend turn them in or understand that this all just happened? It made her chest ache to think about and she shook the fear and doubt from her mind as she rushed down the steps. She was thankful that she hadn't seen the woman who had given her such a strange look before. What Sakura had thought was a curious glance was suddenly morphing into one of accusation in her mind and she struggled to remember if the woman had smiled at her or not. Had she just stared at Sakura, or glanced with a polite smile? The latter would calm her nerves a bit but she couldn't recall for sure.

Just as she made it to the ground floor, her cell phone vibrated against her hip and she pulled it quickly from her pocket.

 **KH: Is your invitation still open?**

Of course

 **KH: I can't submit the final grades until after 6 but it shouldn't take too long. Is 8 o'clock too late?**

No. 8 sounds perfect :)

Which meant, in a little more than 24 hours, Kakashi would be standing in her home, meeting her cat...possibly laying in her bed. The thought made her eyes widen, a familiar warmth pooling inside her midsection. Sakura pushed the doors of the building open and glanced back at the rows of dark, tinted windows on the third floor, wondering if he was looking down at her. Chills rolled across her body and she couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips.

She turned back to the path leading her across the campus lawn, heading toward her apartment. If he was going to be in her house tomorrow, then she definitely had to get to work on some chores.

* * *

Sakura was freaking out. Not the normal kind that she felt when she couldn't find anything to wear or was furious at her hair for not cooperating. She was in full blown panic mode and she couldn't quite figure out why. This wasn't the first time she and Kakashi had been together, so she knewthat wasn't the reason for her panicking.

But, it felt different this time, though she didn't quite know why.

At least her apartment was clean and she couldn't remember a time that it ever looked this good. She had scrubbed every speck of dust from any possible surface, made sure all of her belongings were put in their places, and had even lit a few candles to make sure every room smelled like a fresh, baked apple pie. By noon, she had finished putting her folded laundry away and stopped to stare at her work, proud of herself.

That had been nearly eight hours ago and though he had texted her telling her he was running a bit behind, the more seconds that ticked by, the more terrified she felt. The need to please and impress Kakashi was practically making her implode and she knew it was silly to be this distraught over it. But, she couldn't help the thoughts sneaking their way through her head.

His house was so neat, so exactly like him, with everything in its place and not a bit of dirt or dust and Sakura feared he would think less of her for not being the same. Which, she knew was ridiculous and that her insecurities were getting the best of her again. He wasn't a snob and she was almost certain that he would be more focused on her than what her apartment smells like but she couldn't help it. The need to please him burned so intense inside her that she was afraid it would consume her.

She took a deep breath and turned away from worrying about how clean everything was, walking to the mirror hanging on the back of her closet door. Her pink hair fell past her shoulders in soft curls that she had spent nearly an hour perfecting. Sakura took a strand in her fingers and glanced down at her body, wondering if her choice of a T-shirt and yoga pants was too comfortable.

Would he be expecting something a bit nicer?

From the kitchen, she could hear her phone ringing and her heart leapt quickly into her throat. She rushed to where it sat on the counter and stared down at those two letters on the caller ID that always made her pulse race. She swiped her thumb over the screen and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey."

Sakura gripped the counter and fought the flutter of butterflies in her stomach that was making her suddenly light headed. "Hi." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm leaving my office now but I was wondering if you were hungry."

She couldn't think about food right now. Not when she was so tense and nervous for him to actually be in her house. But she didn't want him to know how badly she was panicking over this whole thing. Clearing her throat, she glanced to her fridge, knowing it was void of anything she could prepare for him to eat. "I could eat."

"Good. I'll pick you up in ten minutes." She could hear the smile in his voice and it made her chest feel warm and tight. They hung up and she looked down at herself, knowing she was definitely too under dressed to eat with him. Ten minutes wasn't long, but it was enough for her to change into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt with the word 'Pink' written across the front.

Sakura slipped her feet into her boots and zipped them up just as her phone vibrated on the bed next to her. She snatched it with trembling fingers and looked down at the message.

 **KH: I'm here**

If she could survive the night without passing out, she'd consider it a success. How was he still making her feel like this? Shouldn't she be a bit calmer about this whole situation since they had slept together already? He had seen her naked, had touched her in places no one else had and yet, it still felt like the first time he had ever kissed her. Her entire body was buzzing as if there were tiny currents of electricity zipping across her skin.

The night air did little to ease the sensation and she quickly locked her front door behind her. Sakrua regretted not feeding Po before she left, knowing he would be giving her an earful when she returned but, the sight of Kakashi's silver car waiting for her on the street made her instantly forget her needy cat. Her feet moved on their own, carrying her down the stairs as fast as they could.

She pulled the gate closed behind her with a bang, glanced down the street and hurried to the passenger side door. The warmth of his car made her shiver as she slipped into the seat and smiled to him. She had barely shut the door behind him before Kakashi leaned toward her and put a hand to her jaw. Sakura's breath hitched in her throat seconds before his lips touched hers.

She kept one hand on the door handle, stunned by his boldness but so thrilled that she could feel his kiss once again. Kakashi leaned his head to the side, his lips moving gently over her own. There was hunger behind the kiss but she could tell he was holding back. And though he was showing more restraint than she wanted him to, it still made her feel light headed.

He smiled against her mouth, his hand slipping from her jaw to grab her hand that laid across her thigh. "I better stop myself."

"I wish you wouldn't." Sakura whispered, her fingers squeezing his tightly.

The smirk on his lips made her bite her lip and Kakashi glanced at her before shifting the car into gear. "I'm afraid I would be rather disappointing right now. I'm too hungry to focus on much else."

"I doubt that. But, I'm hungry too." Sakura pulled her seatbelt around her and clicked it into place before staring down at their fingers still laced together. It felt so...normal. As if there were no more hiding, nothing keeping them apart. They could just be together . The thought left her heart racing and she took a deep breath to try to calm herself down. She watched the city lights pass by as he drove them past the campus and away from downtown. "Where are we going?"

Kakashi glanced in the rear view mirror before switching lanes. "I was thinking something fast." The way he cut his eyes over to her made Sakura's stomach fill with butterflies so suddenly she had to grip the seat beneath her to keep herself calm. She swallowed and gave a nod.

"Fast is fine with me."

He didn't respond but pulled into the first drive-thru they came across. As much as she had been hoping to be taken somewhere that felt like a realdate, she understood that they weren't completely free to be with each other yet. It was enough that they could just be in the same car for her and the fact that he hadn't yet let go of her hand.

Sakura looked at him as the lights from the drive-thru menu lit his face, a thought ringing through her head like a bell. He asked her what she wanted to eat and she told him, though her head was a million miles away. She couldn't think about food or what to order when she was too busy wondering if this was an actual relationship. She had never been in one before and though their circumstances were far from normal, it certainly felt like a relationship.

And god, the thought of actually being Kakashi's girlfriend was making her entire body blush. She hoped he wanted the same thing as she did. He paid for their food and pulled the car into the empty parking lot across the street so they could eat. He passed the food bag to her and smiled sweetly as she took it, unable to look away from him.

"What?" He asked, nodded to the bag. "Did they forget something?"

Sakura shook her head and looked down at the food, grabbing her cup of fries that were nowhere near as warm as she had hoped they'd be. "So, the semester is officially over?" She asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Grades will be posted by midnight."

She chewed slowly and glanced at the glowing numbers on the dashboard.8:44. In less than four hours, she would officially be out of his class and no longer his student. The thought filled her with so much joy she almost couldn't find room for her food. Setting her drink back between her legs, she glanced out the window to hide the small smile that she couldn't seem to get rid of.

"What's got you smiling like that?"

"I was just... thinking of the first time I realized I liked you."

Kakashi's eyebrow arched in curious surprise as he finished his food and crumbled the wrapper into a ball before tossing it into the bag. "Oh, really? When was that?"

"It was the day you came into the cafe with Iruka. I don't even remember what I said but it made you blush. You looked so adorable getting all flustered and I couldn't get you out of my head after that." Sakura smiled down at her hands and knew there was no way she'd be able to finish her food. Not when she could feel him staring at her in a way that made her entire body flood with warmth. It started from her midsection and slowly spread to her fingers and toes, filling every possible space with the fire she loved being consumed by. She forced herself to look up at him, her mouth dry, lips begging to kiss him.

"I wasn't flustered because of what you said. It was because I realized how attracted I was to you." His words were quiet and the look on his face made every cell in her body tremble. There was no way she could finish her food if he kept looking at her like that. She was hungry, but for something completely different now. Swallowing, Sakura used a napkin to wipe her mouth, knowing if she didn't look away from him, she wouldn't be able to resist crawling into his lap.

She tossed her wrapper and fries into the bag, hoping she didn't have anything on her face. "Thank you for buying me dinner." She said, forcing herself not to look over at him.

"Sakura."

But, when he said her name like that, like it was something he wanted to savor on his tongue, she couldn't resist. With a trembling breath, she looked up at his face. His eyes flickered over her face, settling on her lips before raising to meet her gaze. "You look like you want to say more." She did. She wanted to say so much to him but the words felt heavy in her throat and she struggled to breathe around them.

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to speak, to say anything. "I just...I'm not sure what I am...to you."

"What you are to me?"

"I mean, I don't want to be some fling for you. I like you. A lot..." Every word that came out of her mouth sounded stupider than the last and she wished she could just shut up. She refused to look at him. She didn't want to see that amused smirk that she would have to see on Sasuke's face when he looked at her, like he knew she was powerless and he could do whatever he wanted with her. It still haunted her and she was afraid of ever seeing it on Kakashi's face.

"Sakura" Kakashi whispered, closer than he had been before and she sucked in a tiny breath at the feel of his fingers against her cheek. She met his stare, certain that she would melt beneath it this time. "You're so much more than a fling to me."

"But, I can't be your girlfriend. I don't want you to get in any trouble because of me."

"You're not my student anymore. We may not be able to tell anyone what we are but that doesn't mean we can't be together." He brushed his thumb across her cheek before curling a strand of pink behind her ear. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

More than anything , Sakura thought to herself. Unable to say anything, she nodded and let him pull her toward him. He kissed her gently, fingers circling to the back of her head as she relaxed into his embrace. Despite the console between them, Sakura leaned against him as much as she could. His lips were soft and sweet as they moved over hers and she couldn't help letting out a happy sigh at the thought that she was kissing herboyfriend .

Reaching across him, she used the steering wheel to steady herself as she lifted off of the seat so she could deepen the kiss. The feel of his tongue slipping past her lips and his hands moving down to her sides made her shiver. He gathered her shirt in his hands, fingers grazing softly across the bare flesh on the small of her back. She wasn't sure if it was the way he was kissing her or if she was growing more daring, but Sakura let her own hands explore Kakashi's body.

She smiled against his mouth, the muscles across his stomach jumping at the feel of her fingers dragging down his torso. Though she could feel how hard he was as she passed her hand across his lap, she decided to make him wait just a bit before getting what he wanted. He kissed her harder, practically devouring her as she danced her fingers back up. She found the buckle of his belt, pulling at the strip of leather until it came free. His hips jerked and he gasped as he let his head fall back against the seat. The look in his eyes was dark and heady, sending a wave of heat pouring through Sakura's body.

She kept her gaze on his as her fingers made quick work of the button of his pants and she was impressed with herself for doing it all with one hand. She pulled the zipper down and the corner of her lip curled up as she inched her fingers inside the waistband of his boxers. Kakashi closed his eyes, his lips parting and she couldn't help stare at him in wonder. He was absolutely gorgeous. The urge to please him was as strong as it had been before but instead of making her panic, it was only turning her on, fueling the fire that had been burning for him since that day he had come to see her in the cafe.

Sakura curled her fingers around his cock, amazed at how thick and warm it felt in her palm. She didn't want to let go but there were so many things she wanted to do; she couldn't decide between touching or tasting him. Before she could make her decision either way, he grabbed her wrist and Sakura raised her eyes to him.

"Wait."

She pouted, sitting back into her seat but not letting her hand slip from around his length. Kakashi smirked at her and freed himself out of her grip, pulling his pants back up. "Why?"

"I'd rather not get arrested for indecent exposure. Not when there's so much more I want to do to you tonight."

"Well, then take me home. And this time, you better come inside." Sakura sat back in her seat, her lips a bit swollen from kissing him so hard and her mouth watering to feel him inside her again. She barely had time to buckle her seatbelt before Kakashi was pulling the car back out onto the highway. He kept one hand on the wheel while zipping his pants up with the other. He pulled his belt out of the loops, tossing it into the backseat before giving her a quick wink.

The tension between them was quickly filling the car, growing so thick she could barely breathe. Was it even possible to want someone this much? She felt as if she would die if she didn't kiss him soon. Kakashi put a hand across her thigh and even through the fabric of her jeans she felt as if she would come undone.

The trip to get the food hadn't felt this long. Was he going slow on purpose? Sakura looked at the speedometer glowing brightly behind the steering wheel, willing the car to speed up. His voice broke her gaze and she blinked up at him.

"Where should I park?"

They turned onto her familiar street and Sakura sat up straighter, biting at her bottom lip. Her mind raced but she couldn't focus. "Um, the back is fine." He nodded and turned into the parking lot behind the florist that she lived above, stopping the car in the same spot he had the night he had brought her home after their little rendezvous in the chem lab.

Sakura pulled the handle but hesitated before stepping out. She grabbed their food bag and cups, knowing how clean and neat he liked to keep his car. Kakashi smiled at her from over the top of the car as she carried the garbage to one of the open dumpsters behind her building. "Thanks." He waited for her to close the lid, his hand outstretched for her to take. She slipped her fingers into his and lead the way around to the stairs.

The fear of him finally seeing where she lived had faded in the last hour and all she could think about was continuing what they had started. Her fingers trembled as she forced the key into the deadbolt and she took a breath before pushing the door open. She felt along the inside wall for the light switch and turned it on, hoping he wouldn't judge her home too harshly.

A sudden meow broke the silence and she smiled to where Po sat on the kitchen counter, staring in horror at the stranger following her into the house. He shrank off the counter and disappeared around the corner to find his favorite hiding place in her closet. "Well, that was Po. He doesn't like strangers."

Kakashi shut the door behind him and laughed. "He seems friendly. I'm sure he can smell the amount of dog I probably have on me." He looked around the kitchen, eyes settling on the stack of textbooks she was taking to sell back to the bookstore. "So, do I get a tour?"

"There's not much to see. Kitchen," She spread her hand around as if she were a game show host, showing off a prize before walking into the living area. "Living room, and bedroom." Kakashi followed her and looked into the darkened doorway of her bedroom, his face unreadable. She stared up at him, torn between wanting to know what he thought and the desire to drag him into her bedroom to have her way with him. Her need to have him took a backseat to her nervousness and she waited while he looked around.

Kakashi smiled at a framed picture of her and Ino together at the beach the previous summer before he turned to glance back at her. "If that's what you wear to the beach, I can't wait for summer." Her cheeks brightened and she ducked her head. He crossed the room in two steps and put a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face back up. "Why do you look so nervous?"

"Because I am." She admitted with a whisper, searching his eyes for any sign that he was displeased with her apartment. "I just want to impress you."

Kakashi laughed as he pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. Sakura sighed against his chest, letting her eyes close so she could savor the feel of him. "Trust me. You've been doing that since the day I met you. I'm starting to feel a bit inadequate in comparison." He kissed the top of her head and stepped back, holding her at arm's length. "You could live in a cardboard box, and I'd still love it because it's yours."

The words were barely out of his mouth before Sakura stood to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. He chuckled as she kissed him but reached down to grip her ass, lifting her from the floor so she could wrap her legs around his waist. For a brief moment, they stayed that way in her living room, kissing one another as if they'd die without it. Kakashi moved toward her bedroom, the light from the kitchen fading behind them as he carried her into the darkened room. He held her with one hand beneath her ass while he used the other to lift her shirt up her body.

Sakura raised her arms above her head and helped him remove her shirt, tossing it to the floor that she had spend so long vacuuming. The possibility of a mess didn't phase her one bit at the moment. All she could concentrate on was getting him naked. She uncrossed her legs and her feet found the floor once again, her hands moving to his waist. She curled her fingers around his belt loops, pulling him with her as she took a step back toward the bed.

He watched as she lowered herself to the mattress, sitting so that her face was eye level with the button of his jeans. Sakura looked up at him through her lashes, her fingers moving slow to unbutton his pants and pull the zipper down. She kept her eyes on his face, watching as he pushed a hand through his hair and let his head fall back. He pulled his shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor and Sakura felt her mouth water at the sight of him. Half of her wanted to spend a few minutes touching the muscles that stretched across his chest and stomach but the sight of his trail of silver hair disappearing beneath his boxers distracted her. She decided she'd much rather follow it down.

Her fingers curled over the band of his boxers, inching them down teasingly slow until the length of his cock bounced free in front of her. She looked back up at him and leaned back. "Are you going to stop me this time?"

Kakashi shook his head, his eyes pleading with her to keep going and she couldn't help feeling very pleased with herself. She loved making him look so turned on that he could barely stand it. Though she had never put a cock in her mouth, she had always been curious and had heard enough from her friends to know the basics. She thought back to what Ino had told her a couple of years ago. ' Go slow, use lots of tongue and make sure you look at him while doing it.'

Sakura opened her mouth, sticking her tongue out just enough so she could cover her teeth as she took him in. He was thicker than she had anticipated and her eyes widened as she tried to fit as much inside her mouth as possible. Kakashi groaned, his fingers sinking into her hair and Sakura glanced up at him. His eyes were closed and mouth open as if he were gasping for breath. He definitely looked like he was enjoying himself.

Gripping his hips, Sakura leaned back to slowly swirl her tongue around the head of his cock before pushing him back into her mouth. She repeated the move a few times, letting him guide her with his hands still gripping her hair. Every few seconds she would look up at him, her gaze would meet his and she would feel the need to touch herself. It was becoming unbearable and her panties were soaked by now.

She dropped one hand from his hip to the button of her own jeans, fumbling briefly before she pulled it free. The zipper was only halfway down before she slipped her hand between her flesh and her panties. She closed her eyes as she moved a bit faster over him, her tongue flat against his cock as she pulled back and then toward him. Her fingers found the slick folds between her thighs and she nearly cried out once she touched her clit.

"Fuck, are you touching yourself?" Kakashi asked, his hand releasing the hold on her hair.

Sakura's eyes snapped open and she stared up at him as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing. With his cock still in her mouth, she nodded. Kakashi pulled away, leaving her wide eyed and mouth open. He hooked his hands beneath her elbows and pulled her to her feet. "I know I said I wouldn't stop you but, I can't help it. I want to fuck you."

She didn't argue, letting him push her jeans down her hips until they were pooled at her feet along with her panties. As he took care of his own pants, Sakura unclasped her bra and tossed it to the floor, grinning as he stood up. She loved seeing him naked and wished she had time to kiss every inch of his body. But, she needed to feel him inside her right now, needed the release of all the tension that had been building the past few days.

Kakashi put his hands around her hips, turning her until she was facing away from him. He guided her down to the bed on her hands and knees, her ass positioned upward and waiting for him. Sakura's jaw fell open as she felt him rub the tip of his cock over her opening. She had never been in this position before, didn't know what to even expect and her heart was beating out of control. Her fingers gripped the sheets beneath her as he pushed himself inside of her.

Sakura's breath was immediately taken away and she arched her back as he filled her more than she ever imagined he could. It was painful but the pleasure was worth it. Before he could even pull back, she was panting, begging for a moment to catch her breath. Kakashi moved slowly out of her until she feared he would slip free altogether. But, he didn't. He plunged his length back inside her, his fingers digging bruises into her hips as he held onto her ass.

Each time he pulled out, Sakura would gasp and shudder only to have him push back inside her. She could feel sweat beading across the small of her back. The feel of his fingers holding her tightly and the way he was slowly fucking her was driving her crazy. If she couldn't catch her breath, she was afraid she'd pass out but it was no use.

He moved faster now and she could hear his breath growing ragged. He was close but she couldn't concentrate on anything aside from the feel of how he was filling her more and more with every thrust inside her. Sakura slipped a hand between her body and the bed, finding her clit once more. She could feel him moving in and out of her and her eyes rolled back in her head, the pleasure finally becoming less of a frenzied tangle inside her. She swirled her finger around the slick bud between her folds as Kakashi gasped, his hips slamming harder against her ass.

"Fuck, Sakura...I'm going to come." She could feel his cock twitching inside her, growing harder as he fucked her so hard she knew she'd be bruised in the morning. Her own body was tensing, the feel of her orgasm so close she could nearly taste it. She moved her fingers faster over her, gasping as she felt herself clamp around his cock as he spilled his seed inside of her. She came hard, crying out as her legs trembled beneath her, struggling to keep her up off the bed. Kakashi held her up with his hands around her waist, keeping her pressed tightly against him until her orgasm had settled.

Sakura collapsed against the bed with him still inside her and she gave a short, crazed laugh that blew the hair away from her face. From behind her, he leaned forward and pressed soft kisses across her shoulders. "Are you alright?" He asked in a whisper, smoothing her hair back. She nodded, not able to do much else. She felt as if she had just ran a marathon and wondered if she was that out of shape, or if it had been that intense.

"I'm good, I promise. A bit worn out, but good." Sakura bit her lip as he slipped out of her and let her fall to the bed. She pulled the blankets back and managed to crawl inside, leaning back against the pillows. Kakashi followed after her, pulling her close against him as he propped himself on his elbow. He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.

"Your bed smells like you. I like it."

Sakura stared up at him, still unable to believe he was actually there, holding her and kissing her and that she was officially his now. It was like a dream come true, one that she didn't want to wake up from. She glanced at the alarm clock on her night stand and sighed, settling back into his arms. "Two more hours until the semester ends. I guess I won't be able to call you Professor Hatake anymore after tonight." She smiled and kissed his jaw.

"Hmm, I'll miss that." Sakura could tell he was getting sleepy by the tone of his voice and she pressed her lips together to keep from grinning. Had she worn him out as well? She decided to let him fall asleep, hoping she could feel as safe and happy for the rest of her life as she felt at that moment. As Kakashi's breathing deepened, Sakura settled closer against him and closed her eyes, knowing there was no way her dreams would ever come close to being better than this.

* * *

AN- So sorry it's taken me this long to get this chapter out. I had wanted to do it from Kakashi's POV but it just was not working out like I wanted it to. Maybe I'll do one from his POV soon with lots of smut. Thanks for sticking with me, even through the lack of updates!


	24. Her

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" _Kakashi…"_ Sakura gasped above him, her fingers finding hold in the silver hair at the back of his neck. She had one leg thrown over his shoulder, her back against the mirror that hung on the back of her closet door. He would have answered her, had his tongue not been occupied at that moment.

Instead, he lifted his eyes and looked up at her, unable to resist the pull at the corner of his lips. He snaked a hand around her thigh, pulling her legs apart just a bit wider so he could dip his tongue deeper into her slick folds. The sun had barely started to peek over the horizon but he couldn't help that sleeping next to her all night had made him wake up feeling rather needy. And watching her move about her bedroom, getting ready for a morning shift at the cafe, he really couldn't help surprising her.

She had made the most incredible noises as he crawled across her floor and pushed her back against the closet door, as if she were completely powerless to stop him. It made his cock grow even harder in his boxers and he resisted the urge to touch himself as he continued to lap his tongue against her. Her protests had gone silent, making room for more of her moaning and gasping.

She was practically dripping down his chin and he knew she was close. He didn't stop until he could feel her grip tighten in his hair and her thighs trembling atop his shoulder. Holding her steady, he didn't stop sucking at her clit despite the waves of her orgasm that was making her nearly squirm out of his grip. Sakura let her head fall back against the mirror, his name whimpering across her tongue and he sat back, grinning up at her.

"Yes?"

Her eyes met his, watching him as he pushed his boxers down and rose to his feet, pressing his cock against her stomach. The heat behind her gaze was driving him crazy. He needed to feel her surrounding him. She let him pin her hands above her head with one hand, her lips parting as she hooked one leg around his waist. "You're going to make me late for work." She didn't sound like she cared too much and Kakashi smirked down at her, reaching between them with his free hand.

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispered against her throat, sliding the tip of his cock between the folds he had just devoured with his tongue. He hesitated, watching her, waiting for her to stop him. When she remained silent, he pushed a little further until he was sheathed inside her. Sakura tilted her hips toward him, giving him just a bit more room and he couldn't hold back the groan that rumbled deep in his throat.

He didn't know how she could feel so tight and wet around him but it made it damn hard for him not to immediately come. He concentrated on the flush across her cheeks, her half-lidded gaze and the tiny breaths that came out of her parted lips. In that moment, he couldn't believe how someone could be that gorgeous and it nearly took his breath away to look at her. He dipped his head toward her, releasing her arms so he could caress her jaw and tilt her face toward him. Her kiss was sweet, and she let out a little moan hidden behind her lips as Kakashi slowed his thrusts. He didn't want to come just yet. It felt too good to rush.

Sakura looped her arm around his neck, kissing him with more hunger this time. Her tongue touched his and he could feel the familiar pull deep inside him. His fingers tightened around her hips, digging into her soft flesh and using his grip to guide her back and forth. He wanted to curse himself for not lasting longer but he couldn't help it.

Kakashi broke their kiss and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he tried to make this feeling last as long as possible. Her fingers raked through his hair and she pulled his head back, her eyes searching his before the corner of her lips lifted in a delicious smirk that drove him instantly crazy. "Are you going to come for me, Professor?"

 _Fuck._

Oh, fuck, he hadn't been prepared for that. All desire to draw out this pleasure flew out of the window and he felt himself come, spilling hot inside of her. His breath was gasping and ragged before capturing her lips once more. She kissed him sweetly as his pulse returned to normal and he could feel himself slipping free from her. For several moments, they stood where they were, neither wanting to break away. The thought of her having to be at work for the next six hours made his chest ache. He had wanted to spend some more time with her now that he didn't have to rush to the next class or his office. Kakashi smoothed her hair back and broke their kiss, smiling softly down to her.

"Are you going to be terribly late?"

"I'm already late. But, it's fine." Sakura laid her head against his chest and he could feel her smiling against his bare skin. "I'll just text Tenten and tell her I overslept and I'll be a bit late."

"So, does that mean we have a few more minutes?" He bent low and scooped her up in his arms, adoring the little shriek she gave at the sudden movement. He walked around the bed, heading for the bathroom and Sakura's jaw opened a bit.

"You're ready to go again?"

"I didn't say that. I just think we should probably shower if you're going to work." He set her down on the plush, white rug that sat in front of her tub. "But, if you feel up for another round, I certainly can't say no."

—

Sakura's face was flushed as she pushed through the front door of the cafe, thankful that she could blame the dark color of her cheeks on the cold and not be forced to admit that she was 45 minutes late because her boyfriend had gotten carried away. Of course, just thinking of Kakashi as her boyfriend made the red of her face brighten more and she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. Luckily, Tenten was occupied with filling a customer's order and had her back turned so she couldn't catch the love struck smile on Sakura's face.

Throwing her purse and scarf beneath the counter, Sakura turned to make her way into the kitchen to wash her hands and jump into her work day. To her right, Tenten looked up at her with wide eyes. "Wait, don't —"

Sakura pushed the door before she could register what her coworker was saying and stared at the face of her manager looking at her through the window. Anger and disappointment was written across his eyes as he wrenched the door out of Sakura's grip and all but pulled her into the back.

"You're late." He snarled.

"Uh, yeah. I'm sorry. I've just been so tired from finals and I guess I overslept."

"Forty five minutes late. That's not over sleeping. That's irresponsible and just shows that you don't care about this job."

"That's not true!" Sakura argued, following him past the sink to where his office sat at the back of the kitchen. It had previously been a broom closet but he had felt that with his new title as manager, he deserved an office with a computer of his own. By the way he treated it, one would think it would be far bigger than it was. He could barely swivel around in his chair without bumping into the walls and usually, it made Sakura giggle. Today, being stuck in the cramped space with the guy was anything but funny.

She did not need to lose this job. She was barely keeping herself afloat as it was. Without her job at the cafe, she's never be able to afford books or rent. "Mr. Yakushi, please. It was an honest mistake. And it's the first time I've been late in a year probably."

"Calm down." He rolled his eyes and swirled the chair to the computer, knocking his elbow into the doorknob. She heard him sigh before pulling out a stapled stack of papers. "I'm not firing you...not today, anyway. Your pay will be docked and as you're aware, we have a three strike policy. Since you admitted to being late twice already, one more and I will have the pleasure of letting you go."

He adjusted his glasses and shook the papers out in front of him, immediately ignoring her as she stood staring down at him. As far as interactions with him went, it wasn't the worst. He had hated her from day one and if he had been manager when she was hired, Sakura was sure he would have never given her the job. Luckily, she had been hired in under the old manager and she missed her more every time she had to interact with the pompous asshole who replaced her. "You can get to work now, Sakura."

The door closed before she could manage to slip out of the closet, the corner clipping her heel. She hissed and glared back as the door shut in her face and though she couldn't be sure, she thought she could hear him chuckling inside. With a roll of her eyes, Sakura crossed the kitchen and grabbed an apron off the shelf before joining Tenten out front. Her face was apologetic as she turned to face her.

"I'm so sorry. I was going to text you and warn you he was here but he kept me so busy I couldn't even look at my phone for a second. I think he planned it that way." Ten shot a glare toward the kitchen door but Sakura shrugged as she tied the apron strings behind her back. Usually, a confrontation like that with her manager would ruin her whole day...not today though.

She was still riding the high of becoming Kakashi's girlfriend and from the magic of his tongue to let anything like this get to her. By now, it was impossible to hide her smile and she ducked her head as she busied herself with her morning tasks. She refilled the muffin trays, made sure the pastries were prettily placed in the display case and dusted the crumbs from her fingers on the side of her hips. Just as she whirled around to take the empty basket back to the sink, she met Tenten's suspicious looking gaze. "What?" Sakura asked, glancing around the nearly empty coffee shop.

Ten narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side as she studied the girl. After a moment, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You had sex."

All of the air in Sakura's lungs was suddenly forced out and she wracked her brain for some sort of response to her. Nothing was coming to mind so she settled on the first thing that popped up. "Nuh uh!"

"You haven't stopped smiling since you got here, despite being bitched out by the our psycho manager. Usually that ruins your whole day."

"I'm just in a good mood." Sakura opened the kitchen door and tossed the basket into the sink to wash later. She really wanted to wash it now to get away from Tenten's accusations but the sink was far too close to Mr. Yakushi's office and she'd rather not face his wrath a second time. Sakura ducked around Tenten and made her way to the shelf under the register where they kept the window cleaner. She needed to do something to occupy herself so she wouldn't give her coworker another reason to suspect her.

"Uh huh." Tenten folded her arms over her chest and followed her to the front windows. "Because you got laid."

" _Shh_!" Sakura scowled and glanced back at the kitchen door to make sure their nosy manager hadn't overheard them. When his face didn't appear at the little square window on the door, Sakura turned back to the front door and sprayed the glass with cleaner. "Okay, promise me you won't make such a big deal about it and I'll tell you why I was late."

Tenten's eyes sparkled at the prospect of learning the truth and she stepped closer with a nod. "I promise!"

"Fine. You were right. I...had sex."

"I knew it!" She ignored Sakura's attempts to quiet her and shook her head with a grin stretching across her lips. "You got laid! Oh no...was it Sasuke?"

"No, thank God." Sakura rolled her eyes and wiped a towel over the glass of the front door. "This was...on another level that Sasuke _wishes_ he could get to. I mean...my legs are still shaking." It was the truth. Her legs had wobbled the entire walk to work and even now, thinking back on it, she was starting to feel a bit weak in the knees. It felt good to tell someone about it, to admit that she was having mind blowing sex, even if she couldn't quite give away who she was having it with.

Tenten crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame with a frown. "Ugh, you're lucky."

"You mean, you and Iruka haven't...ya know?" Sakura raised an eyebrow as she glanced at her friend, ignoring the streaks of cleaner making their way down the glass. This was much more interesting than making sure the doors were free from fingerprints. Tenten shrugged and looked down at her fingernails.

"We've fooled around and done everything _but_."

"Does he know you want to do it? He might be waiting for you to give him the all clear." Sakura turned back to the door, giving a few lazy swipes of the cloth. She didn't care if it wasn't perfectly clean. Mr. Yakushi would find something wrong with it anyway. From beside her, Tenten followed her back behind the counter and shrugged with a sigh.

"Maybe. Maybe I just need to take control and show him I want it."

"There you go!" Sakura laughed and tossed the cleaning supplies back into the cabinet. It was an odd feeling, talking to her friend about things like this. For so long, she had to sit back and listen to everyone around her talk about their relationships, their sexual encounters while she was left to wonder if it would ever happen for her and Sasuke. She never could have imagined that she'd find something - no, someone - better.

Kakashi glanced at the clock on the dashboard of his car and felt his stomach jump at the time. In less than ten minutes, Sakura's shift would end and she'd come around the corner to meet him at his car. It had only been six hours since he had seen her but he couldn't help feeling excited about the thought of spending another night with her.

This time, they'd be at his house and he had a date of sorts prepared for her. Since dating was still out of the question, unfortunately, he would just bring a date to her.

He rubbed his palm across his face, forcing himself not to look at the time for the twentieth time in the past few minutes. He was being ridiculous, he knew, he just couldn't help it. He had spent the last several months trying to force her out of his mind, trying to ignore this attraction to her that he couldn't deny. Now that they had been together and had thrown their resistance out the window, he didn't want to waste another minute.

It was strange how attracted he was to her and though what he had told her in the lab that day about their chemicals had mostly been pretty words to charm her, he was having a hard time ignoring it now. She had even repeated it to him in his car, the first night they had shared together, and he recalled how sweet her voice had sounded as she spoke. She had been nervous. He had felt her fingers shaking and had heard the quiver in her words.

" _If the iron in my blood and the calcium in my bones were from the same star that made yours, it makes sense that they'd want to be close to each other again."_

It was strange how that was exactly how he felt. The chemicals in his body was begging to be next to her, even after spending the night with her and waking up next to her body. It was all crying out for her to be close again and it frightened him. He had never felt this way for someone and had all but given up on the possibility of ever feeling it.

He took a deep breath and darted his eyes to the clock, clenching his jaw at the time. 1:02 P.M. Her shift ended at 1 and any minute now, he'd see her walk around that corner. His entire body buzzed in anticipation and he forced his eyes away from the sidewalk where she'd come from. He refused to believe he had that little self control when it came to her that he'd sit here, waiting for her like a lost puppy. As much as he wanted to see her, he didn't want to be like that.

Kakashi sighed and pushed the button to let the window down, needing a bit of the cool air. Thinking of her always made him a bit flushed, and having to face down his feelings for her, made him sweat a bit. Was it possible to be falling for someone under these strange circumstances? He had resisted her for so long on the notion that they couldn't be together. He was her teacher, she was his student. It was absurd to think they could be anything.

And yet, here he was...waiting on his former student, now girlfriend, to get in his car and spend the night with him. He had thought this would have been impossible, and at the least stupid of him. But, god dammit, he couldn't stop himself. Not when it came to her.

A flash of pink caught his attention and he lifted his head to see Sakura make her way around the corner. The black sweater he had seen her putting on earlier than morning fit her snugly and was such a contrast against her hair. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as he watched her make her way toward the car. Kakashi's heartbeat quickened at the sight of her smile and he felt every coherent thought slip out of his mind. All he could see, all he could think of was _her_.

AN- Some smut at the beginning and fluff at the end. Expect the opposite from the next chapter, with some drama added in! So sorry it's taken me so long to get this one out.


	25. Bad Dream

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"Okay, what's up with you today?" Ino asked, moving to stand in front of Sakura as they made their way into the clothing section of the department store. She and her friends had been spending the day shopping for the upcoming holidays, which was the complete opposite of how she had been wanting to spend her day off. But, since Kakashi had been keeping her company via texting all day, Sakura hadn't been going through terrible withdrawals.

She hadn't thought anyone would notice but, apparently, she wasn't very good at keeping a straight face while looking at her phone. It wasn't her fault. He was so good at flirting and always knew what to say to make her laugh or smile or blush. What was she supposed to do? Ignore him? By the look of irritation on all three of her friend's faces, that was exactly what she was supposed to do.

Sakura turned the screen of her phone off and slipped the device back into her pocket, averting her gaze from their faces to a rack of Christmas sweaters that had suddenly become interesting. She poked through the different styles, hoping Ino would drop it and just move on. Unfortunately, Sakura was never that lucky.

Both Ino and Hinata circled the rack and the blonde reached over to put her hand on the line of hangers Sakura was trying to look through. "Spill, Forehead," she said forcefully. Sakura couldn't help glance to the other friend, the one who was at least somewhat clued into why she was grinning like a moron at her phone all day.

Tenten glanced nervously to Ino before breaking off to inspect the sweaters on a different rack. There'd be no getting help from her in this. With a sigh, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Nothing is up with me today. I'm just not that big of a fan of shopping." She moved through the racks of clothes, pushing past other last minute shoppers with her friends right on her heels.

"That's bullshit. You walked right by the section of notebooks and pens and didn't even look up from your phone." It was true. Sakura loved the stationary aisle, always finding an excuse to buy a new pen for her classes, or an empty planner to help juggle her busy life. She frowned, not even remembering when they walked past that particular section.

Okay, so she was preoccupied. Was that a crime now? Usually, she would just brush them off and tell them some story about worrying over the amount of school work she had coming up but since the semester ended, her excuse list had grown quite short. Racking her brain for anything that could convince them that she was just bored and not texting her Professor boyfriend, Sakura bit her lip and glanced up to Tenten. The brunette stared at her with wide eyes and a slight curl to her lips. Yeah, she definitely remembered the conversation they had shared in the cafe a couple of days ago.

Ino turned to stare at Tenten before looking back at Sakura. She folded her arms over her chest and pointed her first two fingers at the both of them. "And what is up with this look you two keep giving each other? Care to clue your other friends in on whatever has you so distracted?"

Ugh, she was being completely unreasonable. The only reason why Ino wanted to know so badly was because she loved a good, juicy story to hear. Sakura rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to brush her off for the third time but was abruptly cut off by Tenten beating her to it.

"Sakura got laid!" The words rushed from her mouth before she could clamp her palm over her lips, eyes going even wider as Sakura stared at Ten in shock. She looked instantly apologetic but not enough to stop the anger from boiling up through Sakura. She reached across the rack of ugly Christmas sweaters and smacked her hard in the shoulder.

" _Tenten_!"

From behind her, Hinata giggled into her hands and Ino turned to gape down at Sakura with her eyes as big as saucers. "You _bitch_! You know I love a good sex story and you kept this quiet! Who did you sleep with?"

"Someone we know?" Hinata added from behind her fingers.

Tenten put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. "She won't tell. I tried all day to weasel it out of her. She's keeping it sealed for now."

This wasn't happening. Sakura put a hand to her forehead and sighed up at the bright, fluorescent lights above them. A family scowled at the group as they tried to wedge past them but Ino refused to budge, still grinning goofily at the girl they were interrogating. "Is it the guy you were sexting? The one from class?"

How did she remember so much about Sakura's personal life? If anyone needed to get laid, it was Ino. Sakura folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah, him."

"Why are you keeping it a secret? Is it someone we know?" Hinata asked for the second time, stepping closer to the clothing rack they were all gathered around. The look on their faces made Sakura's stomach clench. She was dying to tell them about all of the wonderful, sexy, amazing things she had experienced with Kakashi but...she couldn't. She loved her best friends and trusted them but Ino had loose lips, Hinata told Naruto everything and Tenten was just too close to Iruka. Not to mention, there was far too much at stake if it ever got out.

If she did something to lose Kakashi or hurt him, she'd never forgive herself. She swallowed hard and looked away, hating the corner they had backed her into. Ino sniffer, obviously a bit miffed that Sakura wasn't going to talk. The blonde shrugged. "Well, it better not be Sasuke. And I guess whoever this guy is helped you get over your little crush on your professor?"

Sakura's eyes snapped to hers, the color draining slowly out of her face. She had forgotten all about telling Ino about her crush on Kakashi. They had been drinking that night and she had just figured it would have been forgotten. As the two girls shared a look that had both of their minds spinning out of control, Tenten glanced between them. "Wait, what Professor? The one who came in with Iruka?"

Sakura opened her mouth but had nothing to say, and she quickly snapped it shut again. It was as if her body refused to deny this, as if it were more than ready to come clean about it. Time slowed down around them as she watched the pieces click into place in Ino's head. It was as if she could see exactly what she was thinking by the looks passing across her face. First, she narrowed her eyes and shook her head with a scoff, unable to believe it could be true. But the longer Sakura stood there, not saying a word, staring at Ino with her mouth gaping like a fish, the more it gave everything away. "Oh. My. God," Ino muttered, bringing a hand to her mouth.

The other two girls were clueless as to what had just silently transpired between Sakura and Ino, leaving them to share a glance with one another. "Ino, don't," Sakura begged, knowing the last thing she needed right now was for her to cause a scene in the middle of the clothing section. Her eyes darted around her to all the faces passing by, shopping for last minute gifts, well within earshot of this incredibly horrible conversation that Sakura knew was now unavoidable. Before her friend could open her mouth to speak, Sakura grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her into the fitting rooms behind them. She pushed open the doors as she hurried to the back, making sure the stalls were empty and finally she on the cramped space in the back.

All four girls wedged themselves into the dressing room stall, standing shoulder to shoulder, eyes wide and mouths open in surprise. "Will one of you please tell me what the hell is going on?" Tenten hissed once she managed to shut the door behind them.

Sakura collapsed on the bench behind her and put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"Sakura is sleeping with her professor!" Ino threw her hands in the air, nearly knocking Hinata out with her elbow. Tenten gasped and turned as Sakura jumped to her feet and pressed a hand to her friend's mouth to shut her up.

"Would you please keep your voice down? I don't need the entire mall knowing my sex life!" She kept her hand around Ino's lips, not sure she could trust her to keep quiet. From behind her, the other two girls stared, mouths hanging open from shock. "I am not sleeping with him. Well, I am but it's more than that. I-" the word stayed cemented to the back of her throat and she struggled to swallow it down.

"Sakura, you could get into a lot of trouble for this." Always the voice of reason, Hinata said with a shake of her head. There was disappointment in her tone and it broke Sakura's heart to hear it. "He could be fired." She added.

"When did this start? Before he came into the cafe that day?"

"No," Sakura said to Tenten, finally letting her hand drop from Ino's face. She was still speechless which Sakura was thankful for. "I didn't mean for it to happen at all. It just...kind of did." Her voice cracked from the sudden need to cry that came out of nowhere.

The tiny space they were crammed into filled with silence and a thick tension and it had Sakura fighting against the tight lump that pressed hard against the inside of her throat. She knew she should explain to them that this wasn't a fling, that she cared deeply for Kakashi but she couldn't speak. All she could do was stare down at the floor beneath them, wishing it would open up and swallow her whole. She dragged a shaking breath in and opened her mouth to explain but no sound would come out.

The urge to run was unbearable and she shook her head in answer to Tenten's look of sympathy. She didn't want to see it, didn't want to talk about it anymore. All she wanted was to get out of there, out of the mall so she could breath the cold, winter air into her burning lungs. She managed to squeeze herself behind Tenten and out of the door, ready to make a run for the exit. Before she could take two steps, she was caught off guard by someone blocking the way out of the fitting rooms, making her escape come to a sudden halt.

Sakura stared up at those familiar, crimson eyes that had watched her walk down the hallway to Kakashi's office last week, the look in them now piercing right through her heart. From behind her, she could hear the three other girls file out of the stall, coming to a halt at her heels. Sakura was frozen to the spot, knowing she should say something, anything, but she couldn't find a single thing to say that could fix this. How much has she even heard? Judging by the way the woman was glaring icily straight through Sakura, it was enough. "Professor—" she took a step forward but the woman shook her head, clearly disgusted with what she had heard.

She spun on her heel and dropped the items of clothing she had been holding onto the attendant's cart outside the fitting rooms. Sakura didn't hesitate, knowing if she let her leave, her future with Kakashi would be ruined. Several people passed in front of her, nearly blocking her path but she managed to hurry around them and catch up to the woman who was making a quick exit out of the store.

"Professor, please!" No matter how much she begged, Professor Yuhi never slowed down, never even glanced back at her. She ran to keep up with the woman while the urge to throw up slowly rose inside the pit of her stomach. Sakura felt panic gripping her spine with icy fingers and she raked her trembling fingers through her hair. "Please, just stop and let me explain."

"Explain what?" She snapped, stopping and suddenly whirling around to face Sakura. The look in her eyes was like fire and her glare burned so hot that Sakura could feel it scorch across her skin. She flinched from the intensity and glanced back at her three friends who had came to a stop a few yards behind them, watching in horror at the scene. "I should have known the moment I saw you going to his office. I just didn't think he'd be that stupid. Don't bother explaining anything. I heard enough back there." Her words cut like a knife through Sakura's heart and she put a hand to her chest to make sure she wasn't bleeding.

"I didn't mean for you to hear, for anyone to hear," She knew she must have sounded desperate, with hysteria surrounding her words but desperate was exactly what she was feeling right now. She didn't know what this meant for her to know, but it couldn't be anything good. Kakashi was friends with this woman but how good of friends they were, she wasn't sure. Would Kurenai go to the administration and turn them in? Would she do that to Kakashi?

Professor Yuhi scoffed and shook her head, making Sakura swallow back a sob that was threatening to come up. "Because in a fitting room, no one could possibly hear your conversations?" With that, she turned back toward the doors and continued to make her leave. Sakura hurried to stay by her side, refusing to let her go until she had the chance to explain herself. Why wouldn't she just listen?

If she wasn't going to stop and listen to what she had to say, Sakura would just have to say it all as they marched outside. Kurenai threw the doors of the store open and the cold instantly curled around them. Snow was falling lightly, the flurries catching on Sakura's eyelashes as she blinked the tears back from her eyes. She took a deep breath and reached out, grabbing the woman's arm. Kurenai wrenched herself out of her grip but she stopped walking long enough that Sakura had a chance.

"I know you probably think I'm just some dumb kid who thought sleeping with him would help my grade but that's not what this is. I care about Kakashi. I care about him so much and he cares about me." Kurenai scoffed bitterly, turning away from her but not making a move to leave again. "Please, believe me. I don't care about my grades, or losing my scholarship because he's worth more to me than those things. I love him."

For a moment, neither said a single word. Sakura stared up at the woman, desperately praying to any deity who would listen that she would understand. The only sound between them was those of the busy parking lot and the wind howling as it blew snow across their faces. Slowly, Kurenai turned to look down at Sakura, her expression softer than it had been before but still so full of anger that it physically hurt to look at her. She took a slow step to Sakura, lowering her head so she could stare her down, making her feel two inches tall.

"I'm only going to say this once to you, Sakura. If you care about Kakashi, if you love him like you claim," she said quietly, "then you will end this and leave him alone. You don't know what he's been through and he doesn't deserve to lose everything he's worked for because of you."

The weight of her words sank inside Sakura, pressing down so forcefully on her chest that she couldn't breathe. She let out a sob that had been burning in the back of her throat as tears spilled down her cheeks. She wanted to beg her not to do this but she could do nothing but watch the woman turn on her heel and hurry into the parking lot. By the time she had gotten in her car to leave, the tears in Sakura's eyes completely clouded her vision. An arm slipped around her quivering shoulders, guiding her back toward the sidewalk in front of the department store. She was only vaguely aware of Ino's gentle, calming tone as she tried to soothe her though it was no use. Everything that Sakura had been terrified of since she and Kakashi had began this relationship was suddenly coming true. Her legs felt weak beneath her and she held on tight to Ino's arms wrapped around her waist to keep herself from falling to the ground.

This couldn't be real. She felt as if she were caught in a bad dream. But, no matter how much she begged to wake up, she couldn't.

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 **AN** \- Okay, don't hate me too much...I know it's been officially forever since I updated and this was so not what you all wanted to see. If anyone thinks Kurenai is being a bit of a bitch, just know that she and Kakashi are close friends and she sees Sakura as just a chick who wants some kind of fling. She's being protective of her friends and she's got those new Mama hormones a flowing! Anyway, I've got the rest of this fic mapped out and the next chapter is halfway finished :D Expect regular updates until the finale! Good to be back (though I suspect no one else is thrilled that I've returned with such a heart breaking chapter) .


	26. Don't Lose Hope

AN- Okay, I know it's been since like...June? Since I've updated. I apologize for that. Writer's block is a hell of a thing. But, I have found new inspiration for this fic and I'm really looking forward to giving it the finish it deserves. Anyway, thanks to everyone that has stuck around! I hope you like the new chapter. It's actually going in a slightly different direction than I had it before...but nothing too major. I did it this way so I can sneak in one final smutty scene (not this chapter).

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Kakashi's hands were trembling as he slammed the door to his car, though the cold winter morning had nothing to do with it. He barely felt it at all, his body too numb to even register the temperature. The thermostat on his dash had said it was close to freezing but the anger he was currently feeling drove away any cold.

The front porch to Asuma and Kurenai's house was cheerily decorated for the upcoming holiday, with a wreath on the front door and icicle lights hanging from the roof. Through the middle of the wreath, he could see that the light was on in the living room. Good. They were awake.

He took the steps of their porch two at a time and inhaled a deep breath through his nose before using the door knocker. From inside, he could hear Asuma shuffling his feet from the couch to the door and a moment later, he pulled it open to peer down at Kakashi in surprise.

"Christmas must have come early for us! You going around delivering presents?" He joked with a grin, folding his arms across his chest. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to even crack a smile and he pushed his hand through his hair. Immediately, his friend seemed to sense that this wouldn't be a friendly visit and Asuma's brow pinched together on his forehead. "Everything alright?"

"I actually need to speak to Kurenai." Between Asuma's body and the door frame, Kakashi caught sight of the woman in question. She was standing in the hall that lead to the baby's room, carrying the bundle to her chest as she kept her eyes narrowed icily on Kakashi.

"Alright," Asuma said, taking a step back to hold the door open. "You want to come inside?"

"No. I'll just wait here."

A few seconds passed, Asuma's confusion making him hesitate. The tension that suddenly arose between the three of them was hard to ignore and he knew it would probably be best to sit this one out. He took a step back and left Kakashi at the door, turning to take the baby from his wife's arms. They shared a few words whispered too low for Kakashi to hear. Not that he wanted to anyway. He was too angry to care in that moment.

With another deep breath, he stepped away from the door and moved to the porch railing, leaning over it with both hands down on the rail. The door hinges creaked behind him and he closed his eyes, trying to calm the fury radiating from within him. Once the door shut, he stood up straight and let his breath out in a fog.

"Judging by the look on your face, I take it you're not here to sing Christmas carols?"

Kakashi whirled around to face her, narrowing his eyes into a glare that he hoped she could feel. He shook his head, unable to remember the last time he was this furious. "What gives you the right to pry into my personal life?"

She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, eyes rolling. "I didn't do much prying, Kakashi. The information was there. All I did was be close enough to overhear her _bragging_ to her friends."

"That's bullshit. Sakura wouldn't do that." He wanted to believe that to be true, but he couldn't deny that her words elicited a tendril of fear from inside him. With a shake of his head, he pushed it back down into the depths of his mind. "You don't know her like I do."

"I know her well enough to form my own opinion."

Kakashi felt his fists clench so hard at his sides, his fingernails digging deep into the flesh of his palm. "You don't know anything about us aside from what you've built up in your own head. I can't believe you, Kurenai. I thought we were friends."

At this, her face shifted into surprise and she blinked, letting her hands drop to her sides. "We are friends, Kakashi. That's why this is so upsetting. I never in a million years would have dreamed that you could do something this stupid. What were you thinking?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

She scoffed and placed her hands on her hips "No, you don't. But you'll have to explain it to the Board when they find out and they _will_. She's your _student_ , Kakashi! People have been fired for far less than this."

He clenched his jaw and turned away from her, leaning against the porch rail once more. "She's not my student anymore."

"No," she started, stepping closer to him. "But, she was when I saw her coming to your office last week and a month before that, she was sitting outside your door like a puppy. Has this been going on since then?"

"What does it matter?" He sighed, closing his eyes. Behind his eyelids, he could see Sakura sitting in the floor beside his office door the day she had come to apologize to him. He had been so hurt, so confused by what he was feeling but, in that moment, he was only relieved that she was there. Now, everything was back to being completely fucked up.

For two hours last night, he had tried to call Sakura, getting her voicemail each time. She had only sent him a single text explaining what had happened and that she never meant for anyone to get hurt. After two hours of not speaking to her, he drove to her apartment only to find it dark. If she was home, she wasn't answering. He had stayed up all night, going over and over and over everything in his mind until it had driven him mad. Every time he thought about what she could be going through, it was like daggers stabbing through his chest. It was only after he couldn't take anymore of his own inner turmoil that he felt the need to take it out on Kurenai. After all, this was her fault.

"It matters to the Board, Kakashi. All they'll have to do is look at her grades this last semester in your class. If she made anything higher than a C, they'll assume you gave her the grades. Especially with your reputation."

"Fuck the Board. They can assume whatever they want. Sakura earned her grades because she's intelligent and a good student."

From beside him, Kurenai heaved a sigh and leaned a hip against the railing. Several seconds passed in silence, the only sound between them was the muffled TV playing from inside the house. "Kakashi," she said softly, putting a hand to his shoulder. Despite wanting to shrug it away, he let her hand stay. "You may not care what they think but if this ever got out…everyone would assume she slept with you for her grades."

Another dagger pierced his heart and he flinched, letting his head fall. When had he lost control? Was it the moment he kissed her in the auditorium, or the night he had walked her home from work? No, it was before all of that. It was the moment she stepped on his foot and snapped at him in front of the fountain. That moment she had looked into his eyes, like she instantly saw past all of the masks he wore to keep everyone out, and any sort of control he thought he had had started to crumble.

"Look," Kurenai said with a sigh. "I'm sorry I spoke to her so harshly. I was just so furious and in shock that I may have lost it. She…she seems like she cares a lot about you."

Kakashi nodded but didn't look up at her. All the anger he had been feeling, all the fire that drove him to confront her was fading fast, leaving nothing but the dark and cold inside him. He shivered. "It doesn't matter anymore. She won't answer my calls."

"Oh," was all Kurenai had to say and it was enough to make a small spark of anger ignite in Kakashi. He lifted his head and pursed his lips, too exhausted to fight anymore. "How did you know I had talked to her then?"

Though he could recite the text word for word, he didn't want to hear it out loud. Instead, he reached into his front pocket and pulled up the text message Sakura had sent him last night at 10:15 when he was settling down to sleep. It had jolted him awake instantly, keeping him in a state of delirium all night. He passed the phone to Kurenai and she held it further away from her face to be able to read it.

 _SH: I don't know how to say what I'm about to say and I hate myself for saying it through a text message. I'm so sorry for the way things have come out. It was never the way I had intended it to and if it were left to me, it would all still be our secret. Your friend, Professor Yuhi, overheard some things about you and I. She was furious, and rightfully so. I should have never said anything and I'm so sorry I did. This is all my fault but I want to make it right before it's too late. Just know, that this isn't because of anything you have done. You're amazing and wonderful and every minute I spent with you was the happiest of my life. But, I can't let you ruin your life for me. I'm sorry._

"Shit," Kurenai mumbled, passing the phone back to him with a sigh. She pushed her hair from her face and looked out at the front yard where thick snowflakes were starting to fall. "Kakashi, I'm sorry. I know that means nothing now, but, I am."

He wanted to tell her that she was right, it means nothing to him now that the damage was done. He took a shaking breath and opened his mouth to tell her that he just wanted to be left alone now, but never got the chance. She grabbed his arm suddenly. "Wait. You said she wasn't answering your call. What if you did it from my phone?"

"What?"

"She won't recognize my number. It could be worth a shot if you want to talk to her." She didn't wait for his answer, hurrying through the front door and leaving him behind in the cold. Through the front windows, he could see Asuma jump off the couch, asking her what in the world was going on. His questions were ignored as she grabbed her purse and was back through the door once again. "Here," she said, pulling her phone out of the front pocket of her purse.

Kakashi held it in his hands, staring down at the screen in doubt. This seemed ridiculous, but if it meant he got to at least hear her voice one more time, he was willing to try it. His fingers shook as he typed Sakura's number into Kurenai's phone. He looked up at her, his thumb hovering over the call button. "What if she doesn't want to talk to me?"

"She does." Kurenai nodded gently and put a hand to his arm to reassure him. "Trust me."

With his heart pounding hard in his ears, Kakashi pushed the button and put the device to his ear. After the second ring, he closed his eyes, the hope he had felt slowly slipping away. The third ring made his stomach clench tight and by the fourth, he was shaking his head. He pulled the phone away from his ear just barely when a voice answered. "Hello?" Sakura asked sleepily.

"Sakura," Kakashi breathed, letting his head fall back against one of the posts on the porch, shutting his eyes tight. "Please, don't hang up." Silence was his answer, but he could hear her sniffle and what sounded like a faint, but annoyed meow on the other end of the line. Across the porch, the front door shut, and he realized he had been given some privacy. Now that he had her on the phone, he had no idea what to say. All of it had immediately left his head, leaving him with only one thing in particular that he had been dying to say to her for a while now. But, he didn't want to tell her over the phone. "Can I see you?"

"Kakashi." Her voice broke, making his heart shatter. He didn't want to hear the answer, too afraid that she would say no. "I…I don't know if that's a good idea. Your friend—"

"Sakura, this isn't about my friends or yours. This is about _us_."

She paused and he could hear her moving about her room now. It sounded like she was opening her closet door. Kakashi's heart leapt into his throat in the hopes that she was getting dressed. "My parents are coming to pick me up in half an hour." He remembered her mentioning that she would be spending a few days at her parent's house for the holiday and he cursed beneath his breath. Thirty minutes wasn't ideal, but it was enough time for what he had to say.

"Can I see you before then?" He was already walking back to the front door, ready to toss Kurenai's phone back inside so he could race downtown. This time, Sakura didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes."

They quickly said goodbye and Kakashi hurried through the front door, glancing between Asuma and his wife. Both were on their feet in an instant. Despite Asuma opening his mouth to, once again, question what the hell was going on, Kakashi ignored him and set the cell phone down on the table just inside the door. "I've got to go," he said, meeting Kurenai's eyes. "Thank you."

" _Seriously?"_ Asuma demanded as Kakashi shut their door and ran back to his car.

He didn't bother turning on the heat, despite the tips of his fingers having gone completely numb from spending the past fifteen minutes out in freezing temperatures. There was no time to worry about that now.

Unfortunately, the snow had other plans for Kakashi. The streets were already turning white and after pulling out onto the highway, he was forced to turn on his wipers. Every car he came upon was driving with caution in the conditions, preventing him from going too fast. He knew that he needed to be careful if he wanted to make it to Sakura's apartment alive, but it was extremely frustrating. The clock on the dash ticked closer and closer to when Sakura would be leaving and he could only hope that her parents were going slow as well.

By the time he was passing The Village Café, they had less than fifteen minutes to talk.

He turned the car onto her street and didn't bother pulling into the parking lot in the back. He parked on the street, right outside the gate to her house where he had walked her to that night. It seemed like so long ago now. Never in a million years could he have imagined this would be where he ended up.

As he stepped out of the car, he caught a quick glimpse of the 'No Parking' sign in front of the florist's shop Sakura lived above. Hopefully, he wouldn't be towed. With a shaking breath, he wrenched open the gate and took the stairs leading up to her apartment two at a time. He could hear the dead bolt turning as he made it to the small landing outside her front door.

And as she pulled the door open, peering up at him with eyes that were rimmed with red and puffy from a night of crying, Kakashi couldn't help himself. He stepped up to her, took her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers. It was the sweetest taste that had ever graced his lips. Sakura held onto the front of his jacket, desperately pulling him closer to her as he reached down with one hand and held her up off the floor.

He moved them both inside her kitchen, warmth wrapping itself around him though he wondered if it was because of her heater or the nearness of her to him. The door shut behind him and she broke away from his lips with a sob. "Kakashi, don't." She turned away from him but he didn't let go of her, keeping her pressed to his chest.

"I can't help it." He whispered, laying his cheek against the top of her head. Her body was trembling next to his and he held her just a bit tighter, too scared to let go. "I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want you to resent me if our relationship ruins your career." Despite her voice being muffled into his chest, Kakashi had heard her and flinched. Knowing she felt like this broke his heart and the need to assure her that he could never resent her was strong.

Kakashi opened his mouth to tell her exactly that and was abruptly cut off by a knock at her door. They managed to separate, Sakura turning to face the kitchen table while he backed up against the counter before the front door to her apartment opened. "C'mon kiddo! We got to beat this snow storm rolling in." A man, who Kakashi could only assume was Sakura's father poked his head in with a grin, snowflakes covering his shoulders.

He took one look at his daughter, clearly distraught and finally caught sight of Kakashi standing awkwardly across the kitchen. "Sakura, is everything alright?"

"Yeah," She said, brushing her hair from her face as she stood up straight. The smile she gave her father was reassuring but Kakashi could see right through it. "I'm fine. Dad, this is my…my friend, Kakashi." Whether he noticed her hesitation around the word friend or not, Kakashi couldn't tell. He had noticed though and it made him wince.

"Nice to meet you." He said quietly, neither of the men offering to shake one another's hand which only added to the awkwardness that was starting to become suffocating in the small kitchen. Sakura's father eyed him for a moment, assessing both the situation and what a man was doing in his daughter's apartment so early in the morning. Without a word to Kakashi, he turned back to Sakura and leaned close to her.

"Did he stay the night?"

" _Dad!_ " She rolled her eyes as her face lit up bright pink. She turned him toward the door and pushed him back out onto the landing. "I'll be down in a minute. Here," she said, picking up a blue and grey Konoha U. duffel bag before pushing it into his arms. "Take this down and give me five minutes, okay?"

It was clear that her father was definitely not okay with that, by the scowl across his face, but he gave her a quick nod anyway and turned to make his way down the steps, _slowly._ In the silence that followed behind him, Sakura shook her head and turned back to face Kakashi. "I'm sorry. He's kind of over protective."

"It's fine. I understand." He scoffed, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I've actually never met a girl's parents before. Never thought it would be under these circumstances."

It warmed his heart to see her lips curl into a smile, no matter how small it was. As quickly as it appeared, it faded away and Sakura took a deep breath. Whatever she was about to say, Kakashi could tell he didn't want to hear it. He didn't let her speak. In two quick steps, he was across the kitchen once more, taking her face in the palm of his hands. "Sakura, I love you. I should have told you sooner, and I'm sorry it's taken me this long. I'm in love with you and I will never resent you for whatever happens to my career. You've made me happier than being a professor ever has."

She blinked up at him, her eyes wide and brimmed with fresh tears that he brushed away with his thumbs. "You do?" Her words were a whisper and he tilted her face up to his, kissing her lips softly. It didn't take long before she relaxed and melted into his embrace, returning his kiss.

The sound of a car horn honking down at the street tore her away from him with a strangled cry in the back of her throat. She swiped at her face with the back of her hand and shook her head. "I love you too, Kakashi, but…"

"But, what?"

Sakura lifted her gaze to him and he could see everything he was feeling mirrored back at him. Fear, longing, uncertainty, it was all there in her stare. His chest ached to see it on her face. "I'm terrified of you changing your feelings about me. I'm scared that if we pretend that this had never happened that it will be so much harder in the future. I don't want to lose you, but I don't…I—"

The car horn broke through her words again, and she pushed her hands through her hair, choking back a frustrated sob. "God, I can't think!"

"It's okay," He soothed, brushing the strands of hair from her face as they caught on the streaks of tears. "As much as I do not want to let you go right now, I have a feeling your father won't stay in the car for much longer."

She scoffed. "You're probably right. I'm sorry I avoided your calls last night. I thought it would be better that way."

"It's alright. I wish you had just talked to me, though. Your text scared me half to death." He pulled back, holding her at arm's length. "Just talk to me next time."

Down on the street, a car door slammed shut and Sakura rolled her eyes, stepping away from Kakashi. She heaved a sigh and turned the light off before pulling the front door open. "I'll be home in three days. Will you come over when I get back?" She asked as they both stepped out onto the staircase outside her door.

The snow was falling much heavier now and Kakashi took a deep breath of the frigid air, letting it burn his lungs. He stepped aside and let her lock the dead bolt, wishing he could reach out and touch her, kiss her. He refrained, unable to ignore the feeling of being watched from two very curious parents sitting in an SUV on the street. Sakura turned and smiled apologetically up at him. She didn't seem too worried about their audience and she took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. It wasn't a kiss, but it was enough to let him know that they weren't over.

He held onto her fingers as they made their way down the steps and toward the gate. It slammed shut behind them and Kakashi was surprised when Sakura followed him to his car, stopping beside the driver's side to peer up at him. Snowflakes caught on her eyelashes and the hair that framed her face and, in that moment, Kakashi didn't care if the entire university board of directors stood there watching them. He bent his head toward her and pressed a kiss to the middle of her forehead, knowing that there were two pairs of eyes watching them in the mirrors of the SUV.

"Text me," He whispered, holding onto her fingers as she took a few steps back.

With a nod, she smiled though there was still too much sadness behind it to make him feel better. Sakura turned on her heel and slipped into the backseat of her parent's car. A minute passed and Kakashi figured they were bombarding her with endless questions about him. He ducked into his own car, hoping to avoid any confrontation with either of them. Thankfully, after another few seconds, the SUV pulled away from the curb and slowly drove away.

Kakashi watched until it disappeared around the corner, only noticing the parking ticket stuck beneath the wipers as he turned them on. He sighed and let his forehead fall against the steering wheel, somehow feeling just as confused as he had an hour ago. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically, but he doubted that he would find much rest over the next three days.


	27. Heart To Heart

Heart To Heart

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AN- Long chapter is LONG! No editing because I'm tipsy and I'm just excited as hell to update this tonight! I hope you enjoy it!

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The snow swirled angrily outside, collecting on any surface it could stick to over the last few hours. Sakura watched it pile up on the garden wall in the back yard of her parent's house as she sat at the kitchen table, chin in the palm of her hand. She hadn't said much since they had gotten in from the rather awkward drive from her apartment.

Her mother had waited only a few seconds after the door shut before she started her barrage of questions. Who was that man? Why was he in your house? Was he kissing you? Are you dating? Both her father and mother went back and forth asking her questions she didn't exactly know how to answer. How was she supposed to tell her parents that he was her professor and they had fallen for one another? They would never understand and would more than likely try to convince her to withdraw from Konoha University altogether.

For the several two hours, she had been sitting at the table, only offering as little as possible to any conversation her mother tried to make. Luckily, her dad was still pretty annoyed by the idea that his daughter could have had a man in her house overnight and he had been glued to the television the minute they had stepped inside the house. Sakura didn't mind. She preferred to be ignored right now.

Especially since her mind was still so muddled with her own questions she couldn't answer. They were frustrating and constantly swirling through her mind as violently as the snow was raging outside so much that she could barely think about Kakashi's declaration of love. His words echoed in her ears and she closed her eyes as she replayed it in her mind for the hundredth time.

 _I'm in love with you_ …

It was what she had been dreaming of hearing for the past three months, what her fantasies had been conjuring up since the moment he had walked into that classroom in September. And yet…she was still so afraid of what their future could mean. A relationship built on secrecy, with so much to lose, could never last long. Could it? That was the question she wished she could have the answer to most. It was the only one keeping her from being with Kakashi.

The thought of being with him made her heart feel as if it would burst out of her chest but the fear of the consequences from their relationship held her back. How could she ever be with him when there was a constant, nagging fear of him possibly hating her one day? If the University didn't fire him, if they saw nothing wrong with their relationship and let it continue, then, and only then, would she feel safe. If he suffered because of her in anyway, she'd never be able to forgive herself. Neither would he, no matter how much he would deny it.

That small possibility was too much of a risk for her to take and it would drive her mad trying to ignore it. She opened her eyes and pushed a hand through her hair as her mother stepped into the kitchen. The older woman took a seat next to her at the table, dropping a cup of tea in front of her. "Since your father is currently dozing off in his chair, do you want to talk about whatever is on your mind?"

Sakura glanced back at her father, scoffing at the sight of his head dipping down lower until his chin was resting against his chest. The remote control in his hands slowly slipping from his lap. It was easier talking to her mother about this kind of thing, though she had never experiencing anything of this magnitude. Usually, their talks were about petty problems she used to have as a teenager. Why don't the boys like me? Why can't I be pretty like the other girls? Those questions were easy to ask.

How was she supposed to even put into words what she was feeling right now? She didn't know how to ask them to herself, let alone someone else. Shifting in her seat, she curled her fingers around the warm cup of tea but didn't lift it to her lips. "It's…complicated."

"Does it have anything to do with that man at your apartment?" Her mother asked, sipping from her own cup as her eyes met Sakura's.

"Yes."

"Do you love him?"

Sakura lowered her head, fighting the lump in her throat that pressed hard against her vocal chords. "Yes," she managed to whisper, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. The touch of her mother's hand to her wrist made her swallow back a sob that threatened to sound.

"Does he love you?"

Sakura nodded, looking up at her mother through a haze of tears. She hated the sympathetic look on her face. It was exactly the look that Ino, Hinata, and Tenten had given her outside the mall, the look she never wanted to see on anyone's face again. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Sakura shook the hair from her face and picked up her teacup. She sipped at the liquid, thankful for the burn to her lips.

Her mother nodded and set her cup back down. "So, you're in love with one another but it's complicated," she paused to glance up as Sakura nodded. "He isn't married to someone else, is he?"

"God, no! I would never do something like that."

"I'm just making sure." She held her hands up in defense. "It's hard to figure this out when you won't tell me anything."

Sakura took another deep breath and looked down into her teacup, watching the liquid swirl inside the porcelain to avoid her mother's gaze. The two of them were close and always had been…but was this something she could tell her? The last thing she needed was her parents making an angry call to the dean of the university. Still, she was desperate for any kind of advice. Swallowing tightly, Sakura met her stare and nodded.

"His name is Kakashi. He's probably the smartest, sweetest and kindest person I've ever met. And he's…" Her throat clenched tightly around the words, begging her not to speak them. The last time she had let people in on the secret, it had blown up in her face. But, this wasn't Professor Yuhi in the fitting rooms…this was her mother and despite the fear of consequences, she trusted her mother. Sakura took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He was my professor this last semester."

Her mother's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she kept quiet, listening intently as Sakura explained how close she and Kakashi had grown over the semester. Of course, she left out the details that no mother would want to hear. She assured her mother that all the grades she received were her own and that he was very clear about not giving her special treatment. If anything, her desire for him had motivated her more than anything else ever had.

The snow had stopped falling by the time she had finished, but the clouds were still thick, threatening to drop more any minute. Silence stretched between them at the kitchen table, Sakura nervously tracing the floral pattern on the side of her teacup with her finger as she waited for her mother to process through everything she had been told. She knew it was a lot to take in.

Letting out a slow breath, the woman shook her head and glanced back at Kizashi still snoozing away in his comfy chair. His snores were light but let them know that he wouldn't over hear them. "Honestly, I'm a bit relieved this is all it was. By the way you were acting in the car this morning, I thought…well, let's just say I feared the worst."

Sakura's brows pinched together as she looked up at her mother. "Like what?"

She gave a small laugh and shrugged. "That you might be pregnant. I know, I know," the woman held her hands up in defense. "You're a very sensible young woman. If you are having… _sex_ ," she lowered her voice into a whisper. "I trust that you're being safe."

At this, Sakura dropped her head into her hands and groaned. "This is why I didn't want to say anything in the car. Dad would start assuming things." It was one thing to tell Ino or TenTen about having sex, but her _mother_? That was a form of torture she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

A hand smoothed across the back of her shoulders and her mother chuckled. "Don't worry. Your father doesn't have to know about it. My lips are sealed. Now," She said as she pushed the two teacups across the table and leaned an elbow across it. "Have I ever told you that I was engaged to another man before I met your dad?"

Sakura sat up and stared at her mother in disbelief. The story of how her parents had met was one she had heard every Valentine's day and every year on their anniversary. It was one that her father loved to tell after having few too many beers, but he always told it in a proud way, like he couldn't believe he had snagged someone like Mebuki. His eyes would get misty around the time he got to how he proposed to her and it was around that time that Sakura would excuse herself. She didn't need to see her parents reminisce about their past, especially when it led to them getting just a bit too handsy with one another. But, all these years of hearing the story, Sakura had never heard about her mother's engagement to another man.

Her pulse quickened, and she shook her head. "No. Who was it?"

"It doesn't matter now, but his name was Kaito. We dated for a year, he proposed, and I said yes because I thought that's what everyone would expect me to say. About a month into our engagement, I met your father." She turned to look back at her husband, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she looked at the man snoring in front of the television. "He and I didn't get along at first. We had both been assigned to work on the same team at work and we butted heads at every turn. But, I could never stop thinking about him. He didn't know I was engaged and one night, we had to stay late to finish our project and he kissed me."

"Oh my god…Did you tell Kaito?" Sakura asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"No," Mebuki breathed, turning back to face her daughter. "I was torn between what I knew was right, staying with my fiancé and getting married to him, and what I wanted. I was faced with a choice and I had no way of knowing which choice was right at the time, but I knew what my heart wanted. And now, I don't even want to imagine what my life would have been like if I had stayed with Kaito."

Sakura blinked down at the table and pursed her lips between her teeth, trying to keep her chin from quivering. Her choice was different than her mother's, but she was faced with the same thing. Stay where it was safe from heartache, away from Kakashi, or give into what her heart was begging for. Through a haze of tears, she saw her mother's hand reach across the table and cover her own. "Sakura, love isn't always a smooth path. You're going to be faced with obstacles. It's up to you to decide whether or not they're worth going through alone or with Kakashi."

Nodding, she wiped at a tear that dripped from the corner of her eye and felt an undeniable need to talk to him. She hadn't texted him yet and was dying to hear from him. Before she could stand to her feet and grab her phone from her childhood bedroom, her mother's hold on her hand tightened. "However, if you decide to be with him, I think your father and I would need to meet him."

She should have seen that coming but it still made Sakura's stomach clench tight. The last thing she wanted to do was experience the kind of awkwardness she had felt being in the same room as Kakashi and her father ever again. But, this had always been her parent's rule about dating. They just had no reason to enforce the rule until now. Sakura nodded with a sigh. "Okay." And though there would definitely be unavoidable awkwardness, she didn't hate the idea of them meeting.

Besides, Kakashi was a huge dork, just like her father. She was sure they'd find something to bond over before long.

Sakura stood and turned to her bedroom, hesitating for a moment before throwing her arms around her mother's neck. She hugged her tightly and after a brief pause from surprise, the woman returned the embrace. "Thank you," Sakura whispered. "And…if you don't want to tell dad about Kakashi being my professor, I would appreciate it."

"I'll think of something to tell him."

They shared a quick laugh before Sakura hurried to her bedroom. It was on the opposite side of the house from her parent's which had been wonderful growing up. Sleepovers with Ino could get a little loud, even as teenagers, and it was nice not having to keep themselves quiet. Now that she was a bit more mature, having a bedroom away from them was nice for other reasons. She could talk to Kakashi without fear of them overhearing her conversation through the walls.

Sakura took a seat on the edge of her bed and pulled her phone out from the inside of her purse. She checked for messages and found three waiting on her. Two were from Ino and one was from Kakashi.

 _Pig: Okay, I've waited as long as I could. Wanna let me know what happened with Prof. H?  
Pig: C'mon! I'm dying to know what's going on…also, am I still feeding Po this week?_

Sakura felt bad. She had almost completely forgotten about both her best friend and her cat. With a sigh, she quickly typed a response, telling Ino that the cat food was under the sink but didn't give much of an answer to her other question. After pressing 'send', Sakura tapped on Kakashi's text and bit her lip, her heart pounding hard and fast.

 _ **KH: I hope you made it to your parent's house safely. I already miss you  
**_ _I miss you as well. We made it okay._

His response was quick, making a warm tingle spread through her body. Had he been waiting for a text from her? It made the inside of her stomach flutter.

 _ **KH: Good. Did I mention I miss you?  
**_ _Haha yes you did. I wish I wasn't so far away. I don't want to sleep alone tonight_  
 **KH: I don't suppose there's anyway you could spend the night here, is there?  
** As amazing as that sounds, I think it would only bring up some more awkward questions from my parents  
 **KH: Ouch…Does that mean they were asking about me?  
** What do you think?  
 **KH: I think I'm glad I avoided some equally awkward questions from your dad  
** For now. They want to meet you  
 **KH: …Oh.**

Sakura shook her head with a laugh at his response and laid back against the pillows of her old bed. Most of her room had been kept the same from her childhood. Hot pink curtains were drawn over the single window of her room, a color she couldn't believe she had ever picked out for herself, even as a teenager. Thankfully, her mother had taken down some of the posters from her room and replaced them with a more age appropriate décor.

It felt like her old room, but different. Still, it felt strange to be back, sitting on the same bed she used to lay in and fantasize about Sasuke. Things had changed so much. As shitty as the situation had turned with her and Kakashi, she was glad she wasn't still pining after a guy who strung her along like Sasuke had.

Caught up in her thoughts, she was startled by her phone vibrating in her hand and she flipped it over to read Kakashi's new message.

 _ **KH: Now I'm nervous  
**_ _Don't be. They're harmless_  
 **KH: To you they are…I'm the guy taking their daughter away so they'll automatically dislike me  
** Oh hush. You're sweet and smart and amazing. They'll like you  
 **KH: Hm, you think I'm amazing?  
** Sometimes  
 **KH: If you come over, I can show you how amazing I can be  
** Stop…it's not nice to tease :P  
 **KH: I'm not teasing. I'm offering**

Sakura bit her lip and reached over to push her door closed, not wanting either of her parents to walk in on her if her conversation with Kakashi kept going the way it was. Once shut, she sat back against her pillows and typed up a reply.

 _As tempting as it is, I think my parents wouldn't be too happy about having to drive me to some strange man's house_  
 **KH: Now I'm a strange man? And who said they would have to drive you? I could always pick you up.  
** Mm, now you are teasing. I know what happens when you and I are alone together in a car.  
 **KH: It's been a week  
** You're counting the days? Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you know  
 **KH: My heart is already very fond of you. And so are my hands and my mouth…  
** You're cruel  
 **KH: Cruel for missing my girlfriend?**

A flutter of butterflies tickled the inside of her stomach at his words. Through all the fear and doubt over the last few days, she had forgotten how good it felt to just be his girlfriend. She felt as she had the night he had first asked her; heart pounding and breathless. Sakura cursed herself for being so far away from him tonight. As much as she loved her parents and wanted to see them for Christmas, the desire to be with Kakashi was almost overwhelming. Her hands wanted to feel him, her lips begged to kiss him…

Sakura glanced at her bedroom door, biting the inside of her lip as her thumbs moved over the keys on her phone. She typed slow, giving herself plenty of time to erase her message if she decided against it. Heart racing, she hit send and held her breath.

 _There might be a way we could see each other tonight…if you're up for it_  
 **KH: Believe me, I'm up for it. How?  
** My parents are usually asleep by 9. I can't spend the night with you but if you come by, we can at least see each other and take a drive  
 **KH: A late night drive on a cold winter night? How would we keep each other warm?  
** Oh, I'm sure you know a few ways ; )  
 **KH: Text me the address. I can be there by 9:30**

Sakura stared at the screen of her cellphone, unsure of whether she should tell him to forget it or not. Sneaking out was something she had never done before and though she was technically an adult now and could do what she wanted, she still respected her parents while she was under their roof. On one hand, she wondered if she should just tell her mother that she'd be meeting Kakashi that night. After their heart to heart, Sakura was almost certain her mother would let her leave for an hour, even though it was Christmas Eve.

Then again, sneaking out to see him was always so exciting. And she didn't want her parents thinking that she'd rather spend time with someone else than them. This was the only way to ensure everyone was happy.

Unfortunately, she'd have to wait a few more hours until she saw him. In the meantime, she decided to take a shower for as long as the hot water lasted and to have a quick meal.

* * *

By 9:15, Sakura sat in the living room with her parents, chewing her thumbnail. Every few seconds, her eyes would dart to the clock on the wall, watching the pendulum tick back and forth. It had come as a shock to Sakura when her mother suggested they watch one of the endless Christmas movies that played over and over during this time of year. Usually, they were a stickler for their nine o'clock sharp bedtime.

It would figure that the one time she planned to sneak out and break the rules that they'd want to pop popcorn and have family time. She pulled her legs up beneath her on the couch and snuck a glance at her cellphone. One text from Kakashi flashed across the screen and she swiped it open.

 _ **KH: I'm on my way. Still watching the movie?  
**_ _Yes : (_  
 **KH: So, I probably shouldn't tease you then  
** You wouldn't dare!  
 **KH: I have a surprise for you**

Oh, god…Did that surprise mean something sexual or an actual surprise? It was Christmas after all. Sakura bit her lip and realized she hadn't exactly bought him anything. What a horrible girlfriend she was…But, they had never agreed to exchange gifts. How was she supposed to know to get him anything?

 _What kind of surprise?_  
 **KH: You'll just have to wait and see**

She hated how much enjoyment he got out of teasing her. It just wasn't fair.

Across the living room, in his recliner, her father yawned and turned to glance at the clock on the wall. "Oh, it's already late." He swiped the popcorn crumbs that had collected over the blanket in his lap into the bowl and stood with a stretch. "It's about that time, ladies."

Sakura's heart leapt into her throat and she tried to keep herself calm. It was about that time, indeed. Her fingers trembled as she peeled back the blanket on her own lap and stood to her feet. "I'm actually pretty tired myself." To emphasize her point, she forced a yawn and reached over to give her mother a quick hug.

"No one wants to finish the movie?"

"It's on every year, dear," her father sing-songed on his way to the kitchen. "Besides, if we're not in bed soon, Santa won't make his stop at our house."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I haven't believed in Santa since I was six."

"Who said anything about _you_? I may be getting old, but I'll always believe." With a wink, he turned the light in the kitchen off and made sure the front door was locked. Out in the street, beyond their house, Sakura could see a familiar car slowly drive by.

Oh, god.

Oh, fuck.

Her heart beat pounded in her ears and she forced a smile that she hoped didn't look as crazed as it felt. Thankfully, neither her mother or father paid much attention to the car and turned to hug her goodnight. "Get some rest, kiddo," her dad ruffled the top of her hair and shuffled his way into their bedroom.

It was her mother who held her at arm's length after a quick hug. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Sakura said with a smile. "I just—"

Her words were cut off by the sound of her cellphone vibrating in her hands. Mebuki gave a knowing nod, her eyes rolling playfully. "Go talk to your boyfriend," she whispered, patting Sakura on the arm as she passed. "Night!"

"Goodnight." Sakura waited until their door shut behind them and she hurriedly turned off all the remaining lights in the living room. If her mother had known she was planning to talk to her boyfriend _in person_ , Sakura doubted she'd have been so carefree about it. It was good that she assumed they would be talking on the phone. Maybe it meant she wouldn't decide to check on her daughter in the next hour or so.

Once she was back in her bedroom, Sakura shut the door behind her and debated on whether to lock it or not. It was a strict rule in their house not to lock the door, but would it be worse for either of them to walk in and see an empty bed? The lock twisted with a little squeak and she winced from the noise. She swiped the message on the screen and quickly began to type a response to him.

 _ **KH: I'm here. Want me to park down the street?  
**_ _That's fine. I'll be out in a few minutes_

God, it felt like she was a teenager again. Her heart thumped wildly as she pulled off her pajama pants and wiggled into a pair of jeans. She pressed an ear to the door, listening for any indication that her parents were in a position to catch her. The house was silent beyond her room and she threw a sweater on over her tank top, neglecting a bra. She combed through her hair, pulled a beanie on over it and made her way to the window.

It slid open after only a tug to release it from the ice that had built up in the corner. She waited for a minute, hoping the sound hadn't reached to her parent's room. Oh well, she thought. She was too anxious to care at that moment. Her body knew that in a short, quick walk across the lawn, she would be nice and warm in Kakashi's arms. She was willing to risk being caught to have that feeling again.

Sakura slipped her feet into a pair of boots and swung her legs over the windowsill. The snow had built up against the house nearly a foot and she wrinkled her nose as she sank into it up to her shins. With a final glance back into her darkened bedroom, she slowly pulled the window back down and turned to the street.

Exhaust fumes from the back of Kakashi's silver car rose up through the sky from in front of the neighbor's house. As she rounded the hedges and fence that separated it from her parent's house, Sakura was surprised to find him waiting for her. He leaned against the passenger side door, hands stuffed into the pocket of his jacket. His head was covered by the hood of his sweatshirt and she bit her bottom lip with a smile at the sight of him.

She trudged through the snow, keeping her eyes on him. As he looked up at her, she felt her stomach tun several flips inside her and she wondered if she'd ever stop feeling this way when he was near. "Hey," he said quietly, the smile on his face so adorable she couldn't resist kissing it.

Stepping onto her tip toes, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Despite the freezing wind whipping around them, his arms were warm and she could have stayed that way for hours. Her body betrayed her by shivering against him and he broke their kiss to peer down at her. "Let's get warm," he said with a sly wink.

Kakashi opened her door and she dropped inside, immediately sinking into the warmth of his heater. She reached to the vents and put her fingers against it, her eyes catching sight of something sitting on the dash. It was a box, wrapped with silver and red wrapping paper. A pink, shimmering bow sat on top and Sakura stared, her lips parting.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him circle the car and she looked to him as he sat in the driver's seat. "What's this?" She asked, pointing to the box.

"Your surprise." He took it off the dash and presented it to her in the palm of his hand. It was small, barely big enough to fit much inside it. "Open it."

Sakura took the box from him, her fingers trembling but not from the cold. Her mind was a flurry of questions. She looked back up at him and shook her head. "I didn't get your anything."

He waved her off and put the car into gear. "You didn't have to. This isn't much…just something I wanted you to have. Now, where should I drive to?" He looked out the windshield as he pulled away from the curb.

With quick directions to a secluded park a few blocks away, Sakura settled back in the seat and stared down at the pretty bow in her lap. She traced the curve of the ribbon with her finger, wondering if he had wrapped it himself and if he had picked a pink bow just for her. She bit the inside of her lip and pulled the bow off the top of the box.

The paper, despite her trying to keep it as pretty as possible, ripped down the middle and she frowned. It was almost too nice to open. But, she hooked her fingers in the tear and pulled the paper free. Inside was a plain, brown box with a lid. She slipped it free and looked down into the tissue paper, also pink. Under the first layer, her fingers found something small, flat and metal. She pulled it out and let it sit in the palm of her hand. It was a key with a ring through it.

She looked at Kakashi as he pulled into the empty parking lot at the entrance of the park and put the car into part. They were in the corner of the lot, near the gate but partially hidden behind the small building that housed the bathrooms, with a stretch of woods to their left. Kakashi pushed his hood away from his head and combed his fingers through his hair as Sakura turned the key over in her palm. She smiled up at him.

"Is this a key to your house?"

"Ah, yes, it is. Like I said, it isn't much. I just…I wanted you to have it." It was clear that he was a bit flustered. Even in the darkness, Sakura could see the color brighten his face and she grinned. He was absolutely adorable when he was nervous, and she didn't know if she could stand it. "Do you…like it?"

"Of course, I like it!" She laughed, setting the key back into the box, "But, you'll probably regret giving me this because I might not ever want to leave your house."

"Having you in my house all the time is exactly why I gave it to you," he replied with a grin. He reached over and pulled her closer, kissing her sweetly across the lips. All too quickly, he pulled away and Sakura watched the smile fade from his mouth. "There's something else, though."

Her heart pounded, and she blinked up at him. She could tell it was something serious by the look in his eyes. Her fingers closed tightly around the box before she set it in the center console between them. "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi sat back in his seat and looked out the windshield, following a few snow flurries with his eyes. "I've decided to talk to the Board of Administration. About our relationship." Sakura felt as if someone had squeezed her heart and she tried to gasp for air. None would come and she could only stare at him as he rubbed a hand across his face. "I don't want to hide anymore, Sakura. If I lose my job, then so be it."

"But, Kakashi—"

He turned to her, his hand cutting off her words as it gently met her face. His thumb brushed across her cheek before he pushed a bit of hair behind her ear. "If my job keeps us apart, I'll quit anyway. Nothing about it makes me feel a fraction of how you make me feel and honestly, I've been in a rut for a while now. But, I want to warn you. They'll probably want to talk to you as well."

Sakura nodded, trying to swallow down the fear that gnawed at her stomach. Just thinking about talking to the administrators of the university was enough to make her feel faint. But, her mother's words echoed in her head. _'Love isn't always a smooth path. You're going to be faced with obstacles. It's up to you to decide whether or not they're worth going through alone or with Kakashi.'_ She nodded, knowing he was worth it. Terrified or not, she would do it for him.

"Okay. I'll talk to them. Should we get our story straight first or…be honest?"

He sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "I haven't figured that out yet. I think for your sake, we should tell them nothing happened until after the semester ends. If you were punished for this, I'd never forgive—" She pressed her lips to his, cutting off his words. On one hand, she didn't want to hear him talk about things that could potentially end their relationship, and on the other…she just wanted to kiss him.

For a few seconds, he was caught off guard and hesitated. But, as she gripped the front of his hoodie and pulled him close, he relaxed. His lips were cold against hers and she gave a contented sigh against them. How was it possible that it still felt like the first time they kissed? The thrill that she was actually touching him, actually tasting him, was still as powerful now as it had been that first time.

Kakashi guided her head to the side so his lips could fit against hers. His fingers sank into her hair, pushing the hat from her head. He tossed it to the floor before gripping the sweater at her back. Even through the fabric of both her sweater and tank top she could feel how cold his fingers were. She squirmed away from him, laughing against his mouth. He pulled away with a smirk. "What's so funny?"

"You better warm those hands up if you want to touch me with them."

He released her sweater from his grip and let his fingers dance down her side and over her hip. With a pause to squeeze the flesh of her ass, he dipped his hands between her legs and his gaze turned dark. "Where would you suggest I put them to get warm?" His lips brushed hers as he spoke and she sighed. Her legs parted to give him room and he smiled against her mouth. "I'm sure it's quite warm _here_."

Sakura shuddered, her eyes sliding closed as his hand slid up to apex of her legs. He gripped the inside of her thigh and pulled her legs further apart, pressing his thumb against her center. "Mm, but I bet it's even warmer on the inside." To emphasize this, he pulled at the button of her jeans, popping them open. She took her bottom lip between her teeth as the zipper slowly lowered.

The feel of his fingers, still quite cold, dipping beneath her panties stole the breath from her and she gasped, leaning back in her seat. Kakashi leaned over the center console and explored between her legs. As he pushed one inside her slit, she gave another gasp and tried to wriggle away from him. "Still…cold," She breathed, letting her head fall back.

He didn't let her move away from him, his hand following as she tried. Kakashi grinned wickedly before he sank his middle finger inside her. "Ah, there it is," he murmured against her ear, kissing it gently. "Getting warmer now?"

Sakura didn't know how she managed to nod, but she was thankful that he was satisfied. She sank lower in the seat and wished she had kept her pajama pants on. Jeans were too restricting, too tight. What she wouldn't give to be back in his bed…Kakashi pulled his finger out of her and stroked it between the folds. His touch was too soft and slow. She was already desperate for a release. It had been a week, after all.

"You know," he whispered again, making her bite the inside of her lip. "I think the back seat would be better for what I intend to do."

Again, she wasn't sure how she managed to nod, and before she was ready, his hand was pulling out of her jeans. With a whimper, Sakura reached for the door handle, ready to find out just what he intended to do in the back seat. Before she could pull it open, he tilted her face toward his and the half smile on his lips made her melt. He pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth, knowing she was getting impatient.

"You're awfully cruel to tease me like this," she purred, her fingers still gripping the handle of the door, ready to push it open.

"And you're being awfully impatient."

"Maybe I'm just ready for my boyfriend to fuck me," she smirked, adoring the look of surprised arousal on his face. He nodded and turned to the driver's side door, pushing it open quickly. With a giggle, she did the same and hurried to the back seat. Before she slid in, she pushed her jeans down her hips and shivered in the sudden cold that met her bare legs. A little jolt of fear shot through her at the thought of someone seeing her, half naked, ducking into the back seat of a car. She was aware she probably looked like a prostitute, but couldn't bring herself to care too much about it.

Kakashi noticed what she was doing and stared at her from over the frost covered roof of the car. "Oh, fuck," he whispered, following her example. He shed his coat and shoved it into the front seat, kicking his boots off to throw them in as well. Sakura couldn't help laugh, despite how fucking cold she was and she slid into the back seat of his car, slamming the door shut behind her.

The warmth quickly enveloped her, and she watched him climb in beside her. "I think this is the first time anyone has ever been in my backseat," he mused, looking around at the space.

"Well, we should probably break it in properly, then."

He didn't respond with words, reaching over to take her face in his hands before meeting her lips in the middle. Their kiss was hungry and urgent. She could taste the desire on his tongue and it ignited a fire inside her that she had never felt before. Her fingers moved over the T-shirt he had kept on, gripping the fabric and pulling it over his head. He made quick work of her two shirts, sighing at the sight of her bare chest.

Sakura swung her leg over his lap and he ducked his head to take her nipple into his mouth. She let her head fall back at the feel of his warm, slick tongue swirling over the hardened bud. The hands at her side gripped her tightly, one circling around to her backside to dip beneath her panties. Kakashi gave a squeeze to her ass and groaned against her breasts.

Beneath her lap, she could feel him pressing against the fly of his jeans, begging to be freed. Sakura slid back on his thighs and he let his head fall back against the seat, breaths quick and shallow and hands falling to her hips. She quickly unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down, lifting herself off of him so he could wriggle them down his thighs.

His cock tented the material of his boxers and Sakura could feel her mouth watering at the sight of it. If only they had the space, she'd have loved to taste him on her tongue. It seemed that he had other things on his mind, however. Kakashi pushed his boxers down his hips and gripped his cock, pulling it free. He looked up at Sakura, the look in his eyes so dark and full of desire that she could feel it fanning the flames inside her. He put a hand to her hips and guided her back over him, reaching between her legs. The fabric of her panties shifted, exposing her pussy and Sakura bit her lip as she stared down at him. Kakashi ran a finger along her slit and moaned at how wet she was.

She put her hands on his shoulders and held her breath as he traced the head of his cock where his finger had just touched. With a frustrated growl, Sakura reached between them and curled her fingers around his length. "No more teasing, Kakashi." She lowered herself, whimpering as she stretched from the size of him "Just, fuck me."

He took her by the hips and did exactly as she asked. He brought her down against him, sinking his entire length inside her with a groan that vibrated his chest. He didn't give her much time to adjust to his size and as he lifted her until he nearly slipped out completely, she gasped. Sakura pressed her hand against the window at her right to keep herself steady and he guided her back down.

They soon fell into a steady rhythm together and Kakashi leaned forward, capturing her nipple once more between his lips. He sucked and lapped at it, pulling a moan from the back of her throat with the strokes of his tongue. Her entire body trembled, her fingers digging into the muscles along his shoulders. She could feel his lips curl around her breast in a wicked smile that had her breathless.

Kakashi sat back again, pulling her forward so that he could thrust inside her at a new angle. And god, it felt so good. His cock slid over that sweet spot inside her and her breath hitched in her throat. He brushed the hair from her face and his lips curled into a smile. "Oh, that's it," he murmured against her collar bone, pressing kisses along the length of it.

He kept her against him with a hand between her shoulder blades, his face buried in the crook of her neck. Every where he touched, every inch of skin that pressed against his, burned with desire and her breaths came out in quick puffs between her parted lips. Each thrust he made inside her pushed her closer to the edge, closer to the release she was begging for.

She was so close.

"Don't stop," she begged, her lips brushing over his earlobe.

She felt his cock twitch inside her and his grip at her side tightened. He was close as well.

Sakura reached back to grab the seat, grinding her hips against him, matching the speed of his thrusts. Inside her, she could feel that warm, familiar pressure building. Kakashi seemed to understand her urgency and looked up at her, cupping the side of her face with his hand. His breath was ragged and hot against her throat.

Their lips met in a desperate kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair. Sakura whimpered against his mouth and felt her muscles clench around him. With only a few more pumps of his cock against her G-spot, she couldn't hold on any longer. Breaking their kiss, she buried her face against his shoulder and cried out. The waves of her orgasm rolled through her in time with her breaths and she was thankful that Kakashi held her tightly. If it weren't for his arms around her, she'd be laying limp in the back seat.

"Fuck, you feel so good when you come," he whispered against her neck, his hips trembling beneath her. He gasped, his fingers pressing into the flesh of her back and kept her flush against him as he moved in and out of her.

Sakura laid her head against his shoulder and kissed along the underside of his jaw, tasting the salt on her lips. It felt so good to have him inside her, she never wanted it to stop. She watched him as his jaw clenched and brow furrowed in concentration. The thrust of his hips grew erratic and she held her breath through the sharp pain of his fingers bruising into her flesh. With a deep groan, Kakashi found his own release and let his head fall back against the seat.

His seed spilled hot inside her and she sighed like a contented cat at the feel of his spasms. It took a few moments before his breathing returned to normal and his heart stopped hammering in his chest. Sakura kept her hand against him, feeling it bump against the palm of her hand. She glanced over to the window and gave a quiet laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked, turning to look down at her.

"My hand prints are all over the window," she said, pointing to where her palm had pressed up against the fogged window. She reached over and drew a heart beneath it with her middle finger, smiling against his chest.

"That'll be a little hard to explain if anyone notices." He gave her a kiss along the top of her forehead and wrapped his arms around her back. Neither wanted to separate, loving the feel of one another's body pressed against them. "How long until they notice you're missing?"

"I'm sure they will find it odd if I don't come to breakfast in the morning." She stifled a yawn against his shoulder and sat back. He helped her slid off of his lap and reached to grab a few napkins from the center console. As Sakura cleaned herself off, making sure not to get anything on his back seat, Kakashi pulled his boxers and pants back around his waist.

"Does this mean I have to take you back now?"

"Well, at least let me get dressed first."

* * *

Sakura stood in the snow beneath her bedroom window, turning to give her boyfriend, Professor Hatake, a wave before he pulled away from the curb. She couldn't hide the smile on her face and knew if she kept standing there, thinking about what they had just done, she'd melt the snow around her. As his taillights disappeared around the corner, Sakura turned to her window.

She pushed on the glass and frowned…It refused to budge. With a grunt, she pushed with all of her might against the wooden frame. Still, it would not move.

Oh, God…

What was she going to do if she couldn't get back into her room?

She leaned as close to the glass as he could get and gasped. The lock along the seal must have slipped back into place as she shut it earlier. It had always been tricky, but she never imagined something like _this_ would happen.

Okay, there was no need to panic.

She would just call Kakashi to come pick her back up and explain to her parents in the morning that she was just talking with him…no sex. He had come to talk before they woke up and she would walk in, like it was no big deal. But, that would never work because her cell phone was currently laying on the corner of her bed!

 _Fuck!_

This was bad.

No, this was absolutely horrible!

Her only solution was the very last thing she ever wanted to do. She was going to have to ring the door bell and wake her parents up. Feeling the chunks start to rise in the back of her throat, Sakura trudged to the front of her parent's house. The lights were off and had been for the last hour and a half. She was sure both her mother and father were fast asleep and being woke up by their daughter, when she was supposed to be fast asleep herself, wouldn't be pretty.

Why did she think she'd be able to sneak out? This wasn't the kind of person she was. This was what she had been terrified of as a teenager. What made her think now that she was in college, her luck would be any different?

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and stepped up to the front door, her hand shaking horrible as she hovered over the door-bell. Maybe freezing to death outside wouldn't be such a bad alternative. It would be better than seeing the look on her parent's faces. But, no…she wanted to live so she could see Kakashi again and with the key he had given her still in her jeans pocket, she knew she wanted to at least use it one day.

This was the only way.

Her finger pressed into the button and the sound of the bell ringing through the house made her wince, the sound verging on painful to her ears. At first, nothing happened. No lights came on, no angry father wrenching the door open. Which meant, they were in _deep_ sleep.

She pressed it a second time, then a third until she could see the kitchen light come on through the front window. Shivering, she braced herself, ready for the torrent of questions and yelling heading her way. The dead bolts clicked and the door swung open to reveal her father's bewildered face. He pushed the screen door open and blinked at her in surprise. "What in the world are you doing out here?"

"I…took a walk and got locked out."

He stepped aside and let her into the house, pulling the door shut behind him to block the wind that blew against his house coat. Standing at their bedroom door, her mother clutched the robe around her at the chest, her eyes wide at the sight of Sakura. "Where were—" Her words cut off as her eyes narrowed and lips pursed as the pieces clicked into place in her head. There would be no hiding from her mother. Mebuki glanced at her husband and took a deep breath. "Go back to bed, Kizashi. I'll handle this."

He took one look at his wife's face and threw his hands up, backing away from Sakura. "Be my guest." The silence that stretched in his wake pressed down on Sakura and she flinched as the bedroom door to her parent's room shut behind him. Her mother was across the room in a heartbeat, hands on her hips and a look on her face that told Sakura exactly how disappointed she was.

"Seriously, Sakura? Aren't you getting a bit too old to be sneaking out?"

"We were just talking, I swear." The way her mother rolled her eyes told Sakura that the woman definitely did not believe her this time. She didn't dare tell her the truth though. It was better to lie about something like this.

"I honestly just don't know what to say right now. I can't ground you. You're in college, for crying out loud."

Sakura nodded, ducking her head to avoid the look in her mother's face. "I know. I'm sorry. I just…I had to see him after the talk you and I had. I wanted to tell him how I felt."

Mebuki sighed and let her hands drop from her hips. "I can't hide this from your father, you know. He's going to want to know. But, I'll keep the details PG. For _his_ sake. Now, get to bed, and stay there." She pointed down the hallway and turned toward the kitchen. As her hand met the light switch, Sakura winced. She had locked her bedroom door and now, had no way to get into her room.

"Actually…my door is locked. Do you have the key?"

Mebuki blinked at her, not responding for several awkward seconds. She nodded to the couch behind Sakura and turned the lights off. "It looks like you'll be sleeping in the living room tonight." Without another word, she crossed to the bedroom door and disappeared behind it.

Sakura collapsed on the edge of the couch with a sigh, already able to hear the whispers of her parents behind their door. Yeah, there was no way she was going to listen to that all night. She crossed the kitchen and pulled open the drawer on the far left of the counter. It was her father's junk drawer and she knew there'd be _something_ in there to help her pick the lock.

"…I took care of it, Kizashi. Relax, please…" her mother's voice reached her ears and she grimaced. She had only seen her father angry a handful of times in her life and never at her. Sneaking out to have sex with her professor boyfriend on Christmas Eve might change that though. She grabbed a screw driver from the drawer, hit the light switch with her elbow and hurried to her bedroom door.

She quickly worked the screws in the knob and popped it out, swinging the door open just as the volume of her father's voice raised high enough that she could hear it on the other end of the house. Luckily, he didn't feel the need to march to her bedroom and give her a stern talking to, but she expected that was going to be the first gift he gave her in the morning.

Sakura grabbed her phone off the bed and fell back across her mattress, quickly pulling up her contacts. Her thumb tapped the familiar two letters of his number and she put the phone to her ear.

"Miss me already?" he asked, a smile evident in his voice.

"You're never going to believe what just happened to me."

* * *

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	28. Free

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The days before the winter semester started were always strange. Sakura never really knew what day it was and every day since her night with Kakashi, she had woken up with a cold sweat. Her nightmares were always a variation of the same thing. Either she missed her first day of class where her professors had all given her a very important exam that she had known nothing about, or she was late to the meeting with the university administrators.

It was always the latter one that made her panic the most. Though Kakashi had told her that she didn't need to meet with them, she had insisted. If he was going down for this, then she was going to be right next to him.

But that didn't stop her from feeling terrified at the thought of meeting a group of people who decided her fate. She had never even met the Dean of the university. Kakashi had assured her that the woman was very fair, and level headed and that she would listen to them.

Sakura had stayed awake the first night she was back in her own apartment, searching for anything she could find about the woman. Tsunade Senju had been Dean of Konoha University for the past three years and her list of accomplishments and awards never seemed to end. It seemed that she had single-handedly been responsible for bringing Sakura's degree plan to the level it was at now.

This only made the ball of nerves in Sakura's stomach grow heavier.

The morning of January 4th started just like the others. Cold sweats, waking up with a gasp from a nightmare where she had made it to the meeting on time but was naked and covered in hickeys that spelled out Kakashi's name and it all made her exhausted before 6 AM. On top of the nightmare, she had to open the coffee shop all by herself.

Since the days before the semester began were relatively slow, she would have to be alone for most of her shift before Ten would show up around noon. Sakura didn't mind being alone today, though. Moving through the motions, concentrating on filling the jars of ingredients, the muffin box, and taking down the Christmas decorations gave her mind a break from worrying about the upcoming meeting.

She still didn't know exactly when it would take place, only that it would have to be on a day before the semester started. Which didn't give her any time to prepare. Classes were scheduled to begin on the 8th and though she had rehearsed the things she planned to say over and over in her head, she still felt as if she were running out of time.

As she pulled the last of the sparkly, silver garland from around the front door, Sakura heard her phone vibrate against the cash register. She wound the decorations around her arm as she crossed to the front counter, snatching up her phone. A text message from Ino was waiting for her.

 **Ino: Are you awake?**

 _I'm at work, so yes_

 **Ino: GOOD. We need to talk. See you soon.**

What the—

Sakura frowned down at the messages and ran through the last few days in her mind. Had she pissed Ino off somehow? She had thanked her for watching Po and promised to pay her with lunch and drinks once the semester started. Ino had seemed pleased with the offer and had said nothing that warranted this kind of text six days later.

After asking her if anything was wrong, Sakura was left with no response and she sighed, knowing it was better to just wait. When Ino wanted to be dramatic, she usually succeeded. Sakura finished putting the Christmas décor away in the back closet and switched out the winter magazines for some that would brighten the place up.

She was more than ready for spring.

The snow and cold were nice for Christmas but as soon as the Spring semester started, she longed for warmer days and sunshine. She and Ino would usually meet in the common area to have lunch on the University's lawn when the days grew warmer. It was always something nice to look forward to…that is, if she wasn't kicked out altogether.

Once again, the knots in her stomach twisted and she groaned, resting her head against the counter. The cool marble did little to help the nausea working its way through her and for once, the smell of coffee wasn't settling her stomach.

The bell above the door chimed and she looked up at a familiar face. Blonde hair poked out from beneath a black ski cap and Ino's pale face was rosy from the cold. She had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. So, she was upset about something. Great.

"Hey," Sakura sighed, standing to her full height as her friend stomped the snow from her boots and stepped up to the counter. She dropped her purse beside the register and pulled her wallet out.

"I need a coffee. No, I need something really sugary. Give me an iced, caramel latte with extra whipped cream." Sakura was familiar with this order and let herself relax. Ino wasn't upset. She was here to gossip.

With a shake of her head, Sakura punched her order into the register and turned the credit card machine toward her. As Ino swiped her card, Sakura stepped away to fill the order. She topped the drink off with a huge head of whipped cream and pushed the plastic, domed lid on top of the cup. "What's up?"

"What's up?" The blonde asked, poking a straw down into the drink before taking a long sip. "You tell me what's up."

Sakura frowned as she took her seat back at the stool behind the counter. After another long slurp of her drink, Ino rolled her eyes and dramatically gestured toward the girl across from her. "You've been home almost a week, you skipped out on my New Year's Eve party and I have to come to your work to see you." Ino sniffed and set her cup down on the counter. "I understand that you may not be open to talking about what happened, but I hope you trust me enough to tell me about him."

Him…Oh.

She meant Kakashi.

Sakura's eyes widened. She had been so busy worrying about the upcoming meeting with the Dean that she hadn't stopped to realize that she had explained nothing to Ino. No wonder she felt the need to come in here like this. Sakura smiled sheepishly at her friend across the counter and sighed.

"I do trust you, Ino. I didn't mean for you to feel ignored. It's just been…" She paused, searching for the right word. "Hectic."

"I figured," Ino said, ducking her head with a nod. She swirled her straw around the rest of the drink she held in her hand. "I just…I don't know anything about this guy except, well, you know, and I've been worried about you. We all have."

It was touching, knowing her friends cared about her enough to be worried. But she was still a bit nervous to tell the rest of the group. She knew Ino would understand and could probably count on Ten and Hinata to not freak out about it. Naruto on the other hand? Yeah, he would be the last person she would tell. Then again, he probably wouldn't even notice anyway.

Sakura cleared her throat. "Well, I'm okay. There's no need to worry. But I'll tell you about him if you want."

At this, Ino's head shot up and she nodded. "Yes! God, I've been dying for any amount of detail these last few weeks!" She took another long sip from the drink, her blue eyes sparkling at the anticipation of some juicy tales of Sakura's love life.

"Okay, okay!" She held her hands up in defeat, sighed and stared out the front windows of the coffee shop. It was always so strange explaining who Kakashi was and what he meant to her. It was like he was something only she would understand. "Well, his name is Kakashi Hatake and he's one of the smartest people I've ever met. He has so many dogs, you really would not believe me unless you saw them all…"

Another good thing about working during the few days before the semester began, was the lack of customers. For nearly two hours, the two girls sat at the counter of the coffee shop, discussing everything, much to the delight of Ino. They covered everything from the timeline of events, down to the way his shampoo smells and though only a few short weeks prior, things like this would have mortified Sakura to speak about, she was only left with relief. Keeping him a secret might have been exhilarating in the beginning, but she was thrilled to be able to openly discuss her feelings for him now.

Two cups of coffee later, Ino was surprisingly calm despite the amount of caffeine in her system. She stared at a space on the marble counter, shaking her head in disbelief as Sakura explained that Kakashi would be meeting with the university administrators in a few days. "God, what do you think they're going to do?"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura shook her head. "I have no idea. He told me I don't have to be there, but how could I not be?"

Ino nodded with a sigh. "I agree. It would be wrong to make him go through it alone. I just hope the administrators see it your way."

Though she had been feeling sick about the meeting for the past week, hearing someone speak about it out loud, having to explain it to someone out loud, made it so much worse. How was she ever going to explain this to the administrators? Surely, they wouldn't care about the little sweaters Kakashi dressed his dogs in, or the delicious shampoo he used. They would want to know the tough things she wasn't prepared to answer.

How long had they been involved?

Did her grades improve after the fact?

Did he show her any special treatment?

How were they going to prove to them that despite falling in love with one another, every grade she ever received in his class was one that she earned? She just hoped the rest of her academic resume was proof enough of that.

* * *

Two days later, she got a call from Kakashi. He asked her to meet him in the administration building, the second floor the next morning, January 7th. And though she and Ino had spent two hours preparing an outfit that said she was both professional and innocent and had gone over every possible outcome of things, Sakura was still fighting the urge to throw up all over the steps.

Minato Hall stood on the snow-covered lawn, looming tall and authoritative. The front façade was a light brick and had six columns that stretched from the steps up to the third floor. Though she had only been in the building once in her entire college career, to talk to the registrar on her first day of class, she knew that the Dean's office was on the top floor.

"Oh, god," she muttered, hoping the woman wasn't looking out, watching her move up the walkway. Thankfully, the bricks had been scraped after the last freeze and she managed not to slip over them. Adding an embarrassing spill on the front lawn would just be the icing on the cake.

Sakura pushed open the front doors and rubbed her hands together, glad that the inside was nice and toasty. It didn't stop her from shaking and she turned to the left where a wide staircase sat. On the wall next to the stairs was a push board with a directory with names and room numbers.

The second floor had one title and it said 'Administrative Affairs'. Seeing them made Sakura whimper and she turned to make her way up one floor.

At the top of the stairs, the hall stretched in two directions. To the left, a few offices sat, and another staircase led up to the top floor while the right had several conference rooms. It was in one of those that the meeting would take place.

Along the wall, a few chairs had been placed and Sakura set her purse and coat down on the arm of one, turning to look up at the line of portraits hanging on the wall. Each one was a portrait of a previous dean of the college as well as a few generous donors.

She faced the last one and blinked up at the face of the woman who would soon decide her fate. The Dean's eyes were a soft brown but even painted, they pierced through the canvas, right into Sakura's soul. She hugged her arms around her waist and leaned forward to read the small, gold plaque beneath her name.

 _Dr. Tsunade Senju_

 _Dean of College Affairs_

 _2014 –_

She swallowed and stepped back, once again lifting her gaze to the portrait. Behind her, someone reached up and tugged on one of the curls in her hair. Sakura spun and blinked up at Kakashi. He smiled sweetly, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his blazer.

He was dressed nice, far nicer than he ever came to class like. His suit was dark blue and the button up he wore beneath it was an olive green that suited him perfectly. For a moment, she forgot all about why they were there and closed the distance between them.

As his arms wrapped around her shoulders, she gasped and jumped back. "We probably shouldn't—"

Kakashi chuckled and pulled her back into his arms, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Though she knew it wouldn't look good if the administrators caught them like this, she relaxed and closed her eyes.

"You look good," she said with a soft sight.

"So, do you. I missed you."

She had missed him as well but hadn't realized how much until she was in his arms. It was as if she had been moving through a fog during the days they had spent apart and now she was able to see clearly once again. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, stepping out of his arms.

"I missed you, too." She tucked her hair behind her ear and ducked her head as he studied her. "I'm nervous."

"I can tell." He reached up to curl a finger beneath her chin, tilting her head back until she was looking in his eyes once more. "You don't have to be here, you know?"

Sakura nodded, wishing he wouldn't keep saying that. "Yes, I do. We're in this together."

Several minutes passed as they stood in the hallway, looking at one another. He had a small smile on his lips, one that she loved on him. How could he not be as nervous as she was? There was so much more at stake for him.

"Professor Hatake," a voice called behind them, making Sakura start with a gasp. Her eyes widened as he turned to face a short woman wearing an outdated business suit. She smiled politely to both of them and gestured to the door across from them. "They're ready for you in conference room C."

Both Sakura and Kakashi glanced to the door and the woman turned to make her way back into her office on the opposite end of the hallway. Sakura reached and took his hand, giving his fingers a squeeze of reassurance. He turned to look back at her and took a deep breath.

"Ready?" Kakashi asked.

"No."

With a soft chuckle, he put a hand to the small of her back and pressed her forward. She paused to grab her coat and purse before he reached for the door and opened it.

Every part of her wanted to drop her things, grab his hand and run far away. They didn't have to do this. They could give up on their lives and start over with one another. Screw the consequences of their actions. Why was it such a bad thing that two people fell in love?

Sakura tried to smile at the three people sitting in a line at the table in the center of the room, though she was sure it came across weak and scared. In front of them, there were papers laid out, along with a pitcher and a stack of plastic cups. Did that mean they expected this to go for a while?

Kakashi closed the door behind them and Sakura flinched at the sound, clutching her coat tight against her. Was it too late to run?

The woman in the middle, the same woman from the portrait outside, folded her hands over the table and eyed Sakura closely. Her amber gaze was just as piercing in real life. "Please, sit," she said, pointing to the chairs across from them.

Sakura was thankful to get off her feet. With the way her knees were shaking, she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to stand. All of the things she and Ino had rehearsed, all of the bravery and confidence she had tried to summon flew right out of her mind as she sat across from the administrators. She couldn't remember a single damn thing she had wanted to say, and she glanced nervously at the man beside her.

"Now, from what I understand," The Dean started, placing her hands on one of the papers before her. "You're here today to inform the administration of a relationship between the both of you, correct?

"Yes, ma'am," Kakashi said, adjusting his jacket as he sat forward, clasping his hands together on the table.

"I'd like to introduce the University's lawyers, Kotetsu and Izumo," Tsunade paused to let them shake hands before she continued. "They're here just as a formality. Don't be nervous."

"I'm not," Kakashi said, the smile on his face confusing Sakura. How could he be so calm?

"Miss Haruno," The woman turned to her and Sakura let out a squeak, quickly covering it with a small cough. "Would you be willing to confirm the date and circumstances upon which your relationship with Professor Hatake formed?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Tsunade pulled out a pair of reading glasses from the front pocket of her suit and set them on her nose, peering down through them at a typed letter on the table. She cleared her throat. "In Professor Hatake's letter to us, he states that the relationship started during the middle of the semester."

Sakura frowned. She glanced to Kakashi, but he faced forward and watched the three figures across the table from them. "I wouldn't say it was the middle of the semester. Closer to the end, for sure."

"Between midterm and finals?" One of the lawyers asked, leaning forward to write something in the yellow writing pad in front of him. He lifted his eyebrows as he glanced up at Sakura, waiting for her confirmation. When she nodded, he recorded her answer.

"And how would you classify the nature of your relationship with Professor Hatake during this time period?" The other lawyer asked, making her turn to him.

Sakura blinked. Did they really want her to say this?

"Erm, are you asking if we…" she trailed off, not wanting to even let the words form on her tongue. The two lawyers looked at her, patiently waiting for her to continue. Heat touched the tops of her cheeks and she stared down at her hands folded in her lap. "It was physical."

More scribbling.

She sat up straighter and tried to make out what they were writing but the angle made it too difficult to tell. She pursed her lips.

"And at any point did Professor Hatake pressure you into becoming physical?"

It sounded worse when they said it.

"God, _no_. It was mutual and consensual. Listen," she leaned forward, ignoring the lawyers and focusing on the woman between them. "Kakashi never promised me good grades in exchange for sex. I earned every grade I received in his class and if you look at the rest of my transcripts, you can see that I've never so much as made a C as a final grade. I'm a good student and he's a great teacher. He doesn't deserve to be punished because we fell in love with each other."

Tsunade's eyebrows lifted to her hairline and she slid her gaze to Kakashi, a small smile lifting the corner of her lips. She folded her arms over her chest and the pair of lawyers on either side of her turned to her, waiting for her to respond. Slowly, she took the glasses off of her face and set them down on the table in front of her.

"Miss Haruno, we appreciate your cooperation with this issue. When Professor Hatake came to us, we made sure to check your transcripts and were pleased with your academic record. Your degree plan is one that I personally created at Konoha University." She paused, her gaze flickering back to Kakashi before she looked at Sakura again. "You're not being punished, Miss Haruno. We just want you to state for the record that your relationship with Kakashi didn't interfere with your grades. We don't believe they did. As you said, your grades in the years and months before the relationship were exemplary."

Sakura frowned, despite hearing what she had been hoping for. Nowhere in her whole speech did she mention Kakashi's consequences. Glancing to him at her right, Sakura swallowed down the sick feeling in her stomach.

"And what about Kakashi?"

He reached over and took her hand, squeezing her fingers the way she had done his in the hallway. It made her feel worse.

Tsunade sighed and looked down to the letter in front of her. "Unfortunately, Professor Hatake has handed in his resignation. It would seem this semester will be his last at the University, though we really are unfortunate to lose him."

Sakura felt as if she had been smacked in the face. She stared, mouth open though no words would form, and shook her head. She ignored the three people across from him and turned to Kakashi, searching his eyes as he looked at her.

"Is that true?"

"Yes," he said with a soft smile. "I was going to tell you tonight since this way seemed a bit impersonal. No offense."

The two lawyers shrugged and began gathering pages from their briefcases, grabbing an extra pen as well. They slid a stapled stack of papers across the table to Sakura and she ignored it.

"Why?"

Sighing, he glanced to Tsunade and shook his head. "I was always settling at this job. I'm thankful for it, but I've always wanted more and had been too scared to go for it. I'm not scared anymore."

"Miss Haruno," The lawyer to the left said, holding a capped pen out for her. "If you wouldn't mind giving us a signature on these reports. By signing your name, you're telling us that the statements you made today are true and that the University cannot be held responsible in the future if you change your mind."

Sakura felt numb. She sat back in the chair and stared at the pen for a moment before her gaze fell to the papers waiting for her signature. No wonder he hadn't wanted her to come. This was all just a formality, something that could have been done through the mail or over the telephone.

She took the pen and signed her name through the pages, barely listening to the words the lawyer was telling her. At the last page, he took the pages back, set them in his briefcase and closed the lid with a snap. His partner took the pen and slid it into the front pocket of his jacket.

They stood and Tsunade pushed her chair away from the table, giving Sakura a tight smile. "If you need anything in the future, let me know. I'll give you two a few minutes."

One by one, the three of them left the room and let the door shut with a soft click behind them. Kakashi sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. "I really am sorry that you found out like this."

"What are you going to do?" She whispered, still staring at the empty chairs across from them. She didn't know how to feel at that moment. A part of her was relieved it was all over, but she felt bitter like it was all for nothing. He had lost his job anyway and it hadn't mattered what she had said in the end.

"I have the next five months to figure it out, but I've had offers. To be honest, I'd be happy with anything," he murmured, reaching for her hand again. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles. "As long as I'm with you."

Sakura wanted to scoff and tell him to stop being ridiculous, that this was serious, and his future was at stake…but she didn't care because she felt the same way. If they had kicked her out of the university, she would have been alright as long as she had him.

Smiling, she looked at him and smacked his arm playfully. "I can't believe they made me talk about being physical."

Kakashi laughed and shook his head. "I can't believe you used the word physical. You could have just said we were fucking by December."

"You're incorrigible." Sakura scowled, though the corner of her lips was lifting in a smirk. She pushed her chair back and stood to her feet, taking a deep breath. It felt so strange to finally be done with this. She felt like a prisoner, finally walking out of prison after being wrongfully convicted.

Kakashi stood to his feet and took her by the wrist, not letting her leave just yet. He searched her eyes and glanced from her hair down to her lips. With a small smile, he dipped his head toward her and pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth.

She had missed this so much.

As he pulled away, he gave her a quick peck and wrapped his arms around her. "Do you want to come over tonight?"

"God, yes!"

He laughed and kissed the top of her forehead before steering her toward the door. They slipped their coats on in the hallway and joined hands at the top of the stairs. It felt so strange being so open with their love, but Sakura had never felt this happy in her life. She laced her fingers around his and smiled up at him as they headed out the doors of Minato Hall.

They were free.

* * *

AN- Oh, this was bittersweet. I will be writing an epilogue and I do apologize for this taking literally forever to update. I don't think I wanted it to end but I'm happy it ended the way it did. I only want what's best for these two. I love them so much.  
Thank you all for reading and maybe the epilogue won't take forever lol.  
I do plan to make it fluffy as all fuck though :D


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